Ron Francis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ron Francis |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2007 | |||
Francis in 2006
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| Born | March 1, 1963 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada |
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| 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 |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 4th overall, 1981 Hartford Whalers |
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| Playing career | 1981–2004 | ||
Ronald Michael Francis Jr. (born March 1, 1963) is a Canadian sports leader and former ice hockey player. He is currently the president of hockey operations for the Seattle Kraken. Ron spent most of his amazing career, 23 years in total, with the Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes teams. He played for 16 years and worked as an executive for 7 years.
Ron Francis was picked fourth overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He played 23 seasons in the NHL. He played for the Hartford Whalers (1981–1991), Pittsburgh Penguins (1991–1998), Carolina Hurricanes (1998–2004), and Toronto Maple Leafs (2004). When he stopped playing professional hockey in 2004, Francis was second all-time in career assists (1,249). Only Wayne Gretzky had more. He was also fifth in career points (1,798) and third in games played (1,731).
In 2011, Francis became the director of hockey operations for the Hurricanes. He was promoted to general manager in 2014. In 2017, Francis was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in the league's first 100 years. In 2019, he became the first general manager of the Seattle Kraken.
Contents
Ron Francis's Hockey Playing Career
Early Years and Draft Pick
As a young player, Ron Francis played in the 1975 and 1976 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments. He played with a youth team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
The Hartford Whalers picked Francis in the first round of the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He was the fourth player chosen overall. Ron was known for being very consistent and playing almost every game. He usually scored more than one point per game over his 1,700+ games in 23 seasons.
A Gentleman on the Ice
Ron Francis won the Lady Byng Trophy three times. This award is given to the player who shows the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. He is second all-time in career assists with 1,249. He is also fifth in career points (1,798) and third in games played (1,731).
Time with the Hartford Whalers
Francis played almost ten seasons with the Whalers. He was the team captain for nearly six years. He set almost every scoring record in the team's history.
Winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh
On March 4, 1991, Francis was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This trade was a big win for Pittsburgh. He played as a center on a strong second line behind Mario Lemieux. The Penguins won their first Stanley Cup less than three months later.
Ron Francis was very important the next year too. Pittsburgh won the championship again. He helped lead the team when Mario Lemieux was out during the 1992 playoffs. Francis even scored the goal that won the Cup against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was also known as one of the best players at winning face-offs in the NHL.
Francis played seven seasons in Pittsburgh. He was the team captain twice. He also became the first Penguin to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1995. This award goes to the best defensive forward.
Return to Carolina and Final Season
Francis returned to his first team, which was now the Carolina Hurricanes, in 1998. The team had moved from Hartford the season before. He played for another 5.5 seasons, adding to his team records. He is still first all-time in Hurricanes history for points, goals, assists, and games played.
He was the captain when the Hurricanes made a surprise run to the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals. He scored the winning goal in overtime of Game 1. However, they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in five games.
Francis finished his playing career with a short time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He retired from the NHL before the 2005–06 season.
Ron Francis's Management Career
In June 2011, Ron Francis became the director of hockey operations for the Carolina Hurricanes. He was later named the team's general manager in 2014. On March 7, 2018, Francis was named president of hockey operations by the Hurricanes' new owner. His contract with the Hurricanes ended on April 30, 2018.
On July 18, 2019, Francis was named the first general manager of the Seattle Kraken. On April 22, 2025, he was promoted to president of hockey operations for the Kraken.
Ron Francis's Personal Life
Ron Francis was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. He is married to Mary Lou Robie. They met in Hartford when he played for the Whalers. They got married in 1986 and have three children: Kaitlyn, Michael, and Connor.
Francis is a popular sports figure in Hartford, Pittsburgh, and Raleigh. He is also known for his charity work. He was the first ice hockey player to be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1979–80 | Sault Ste. Marie North Stars | Midget | 45 | 57 | 92 | 149 | — | — | 11 | 11 | 22 | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 64 | 26 | 43 | 69 | 33 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 34 | ||
| 1981–82 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 25 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 59 | 25 | 43 | 68 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 79 | 31 | 59 | 90 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 72 | 23 | 60 | 83 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 24 | 57 | 81 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 53 | 24 | 53 | 77 | 24 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 75 | 30 | 63 | 93 | 45 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1987–88 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 25 | 50 | 75 | 87 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 1988–89 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 69 | 29 | 48 | 77 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 32 | 69 | 101 | 73 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 1990–91 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 67 | 21 | 55 | 76 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 14 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 21 | 24 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 24 | ||
| 1991–92 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 70 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 30 | 21 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 6 | ||
| 1992–93 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 84 | 24 | 76 | 100 | 68 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 19 | ||
| 1993–94 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 82 | 27 | 66 | 93 | 62 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1994–95 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 44 | 11 | 48 | 59 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 77 | 27 | 92 | 119 | 56 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 81 | 27 | 63 | 90 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 81 | 25 | 62 | 87 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 78 | 23 | 50 | 73 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 15 | 50 | 65 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 80 | 27 | 50 | 77 | 18 | 23 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 6 | ||
| 2002–03 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 22 | 35 | 57 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 68 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 12 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,731 | 549 | 1,249 | 1,798 | 979 | 171 | 46 | 97 | 143 | 95 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Canada | WC | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |||
Awards and Achievements
Ron Francis won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. His best season for scoring was 1995–96, when he had 119 points. That season, he led the NHL in assists with 92. The season before, in 1994–95, he led the league in assists with 48. He also became the first player to win both the Frank J. Selke Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy in the same season.
His Whalers number 10 jersey was honored at the Hartford Civic Center on January 6, 2006. His Hurricanes number 10 jersey was officially retired by the Carolina team on January 28, 2006.
On June 28, 2007, Ron Francis was chosen to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. This is a huge honor for hockey players. He was officially welcomed on November 12, 2007.
- NHL All-Star Game – 1983, 1985, 1990, 1996
- Stanley Cup champion – 1991, 1992
- NHL Plus-Minus Award – 1995
- Frank J. Selke Trophy – 1995
- Lady Byng Trophy – 1995, 1998, 2002
- King Clancy Memorial Trophy – 2002
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007
- Currently 5th all-time in regular season NHL points with 1,798 points
- Currently 28th all-time in regular season NHL goals with 549 goals
- Currently 2nd all-time in regular season NHL assists with 1,249 assists
- Currently 4th all-time in NHL regular season games played with 1,731 games
See also
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL players with 1,000 points
- Notable families in the NHL
- List of NHL players with 500 goals
- List of NHL players with 100 point seasons
- List of NHL career assists leaders
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
