The Seattle Kraken said Wednesday that Ron Francis will step down as team president at the end of next week, ending a seven-year run that began when he took over as general manager in July 2019 and helped build the expansion franchise from the ground up. The team said Francis and ownership mutually agreed that the move will come after next week’s conclusion of the regular season.
Francis, 63, was the first general manager in Kraken history and had a hand in nearly every early milestone, from consulting on the team name and practice facility to the AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, the hiring of coach Dave Hakstol and the inaugural roster chosen at the July 2021 NHL expansion draft. Much of that work came during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the franchise prepared for its October 2021 on-ice debut.
Under Francis, the Kraken reached the playoffs in their second season and followed that with a 100-point campaign in 2022-23. Seattle upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the first round before falling 2-1 to the Dallas Stars in Game 7 on the road in the second round. He also added winger Oliver Bjorkstrand in summer 2022, a move that helped deepen the roster during the team’s early rise.
Francis was promoted to hockey operations president last April, when assistant general manager Jason Botterill moved up to general manager. Botterill will now lead hockey operations as executive vice president and general manager, the team said.
Tod Leiweke, the Kraken’s chief executive, said the transition was the right moment for both sides and credited Francis with helping turn a small office in Lower Queen Anne into the NHL’s 32nd franchise. Leiweke said Francis leaves behind a strong foundation of draft picks and promising prospects, while Francis said it had been an honor to help launch and lead the club over the past seven years.
In his statement, Francis said he was proud of the culture the team built, the people it brought together and the milestones it reached, including its first playoff run. He thanked the ownership group, the organization and the fans, and said the franchise has a bright future.
The departure closes the opening chapter of the Kraken’s history and hands the next one to Botterill, who now inherits a roster shaped by Francis’s years of patient construction and an organization that has already shown it can win before a home crowd used to the long view.
