Ron Francis is stepping down as president of hockey operations of the Seattle Kraken, the team announced on Wednesday.
Francis joined the Kraken as their first general manager in franchise history in 2022 and was promoted to president of hockey operations in April of 2025.
The 63-year-old executive helped lead the Kraken to their first postseason appearance during the 2022-23 campaign, which was only their second season in the NHL.
“Ron and I agreed that this is the right moment to make a thoughtful transition for both Ron and the organization, and move in a new direction,” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said in a statement. “From a small office in Lower Queen Anne to the 32nd NHL franchise, Ron’s leadership and vision were instrumental in building this franchise from the ground up. Under his stewardship, we reached the playoffs in our second season, and he leaves behind a strong foundation of draft picks and promising prospects that will continue to shape the future of the team.”
Seattle has a 32-34-11 record this season and are nine points behind the Nashville Predators for the final wild-card position in the Western Conference.
They have only made the playoffs once in their five seasons of existence,
The Kraken have a 174-187-11 record during Francis’ tenure.
“It has been an honor to help launch and lead the Seattle Kraken over the past seven years,” said Francis in a statement. “I am proud of the culture we built, the people we brought together, and the milestones we achieved, including our historic first playoff run. I want to thank our entire ownership group, everyone throughout the organization, and our incredible fans for their unwavering support. This organization has a bright future, and I’m grateful to have been part of its beginning.”
Prior to joining the Kraken, Francis served as president of hockey operations and general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes for four seasons.
Francis was a Hall of Fame player who played 23 seasons in the NHL for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Hurricanes, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 6-foot-3 centre helped the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992. He won the Selke Trophy in 1995 as the NHL’s top defensive forward and was a three-time Lady Byng winner.
Drafted fourth overall by the Whalers in 1981, Francis had 549 goals and 1,798 points in 1,731 career games and was named as one of the NHL’s top-100 players as part of their 100th anniversary in 2017.
Francis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the player’s category in 2007.
