Ron Francis
Ronald Michael Francis Jr. (born March 1, 1963) is a Canadian ice hockey sports executive and former player. He currently serves as the general manager of the Seattle Kraken. He spent most of his career as either a player or executive for the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes organization, 23 years in total (sixteen as a player, seven as an executive).
| Ron Francis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2007 | |||
|
Francis in 2006 | |||
| Born |
March 1, 1963 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Hartford Whalers Pittsburgh Penguins Carolina Hurricanes Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| National team | Canada | ||
| NHL Draft |
4th overall, 1981 Hartford Whalers | ||
| Playing career | 1981–2004 | ||
Drafted fourth overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Francis played 23 seasons in the NHL for the Hartford Whalers (1981–1991), Pittsburgh Penguins (1991-1998), Carolina Hurricanes (1998–2004), and Toronto Maple Leafs (2004). Upon retiring from professional ice hockey in 2004, Francis stood second all-time in career assists (1,249), behind only Wayne Gretzky; fifth in career points (1,798); third in games played (1,731); and 27th in career goals (549).
In 2011, Francis was hired as the director of hockey operations for the Hurricanes. In 2014, he was promoted to general manager. Two years before, Francis had become a minority owner of the team as part of the five-man investor group, Playmakers Management. In March 2018, he was demoted from general manager president of hockey operations, before being fired on April 30, 2018. On July 18, 2019, he was hired as the first general manager of the Seattle Kraken.
In 2017, Francis was named one of the hundred greatest NHL players in history.