Ron Francis

Ronald "Ron" Francis (born March 1, 1963 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada), is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centerman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. He now serves as the Hurricanes' Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Development.
Francis was drafted to the NHL by the Whalers in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, 4th overall from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He played 10 years with Hartford, captaining the team for a while and establishing team records for goals, assists, points and games played.
He was dealt to the Penguins in 1991 along with Ulf Samuelsson for Zarley Zalapski and John Cullen. This deal proved to be extremely good for the Pens, who had Francis centering the second line, while Mario Lemieux centered the first - this helped the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.
Although it had since moved to Raleigh, Francis signed with his former team in 1998 when he joined the Carolina Hurricanes. He was their captain for one season, 2001-02, season where the team reached the Stanley Cup finals, only to lose to the Detroit Red Wings.
Francis played briefly for the Maple Leafs when the Canes traded him in March 2004. He would retire prior to the 2005-06 season.
Francis won the NHL Plus/Minus Award, the Frank J. Selke Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy in 1995; he won the Lady Byng twice more afterward, in 1998 and 2002; that year, Francis also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He also took part in the NHL All-Stars Games of 1983, 1985, 1990 and 1996.
Francis' cousin Mike Liut also played in the NHL; he spent 13 seasons between the pipes of the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals.
==Achievements==
*1983- played in NHL All-Star Game
*1985- played in NHL All-Star Game
*1990- played in NHL All-Star Game
*1991- Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh)
*1992- Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh)
*1995- Alka-Seltzer Plus Award
*1995- Frank J. Selke Trophy
*1995- Lady Byng Trophy
*1996- played in NHL All-Star Game
*1998- Lady Byng Trophy
*1998 Honorary doctorate degree from Lake Superior State University
*2002- Lady Byng Trophy
*2002- King Clancy Memorial Trophy
*2007- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1980-81 	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OMJHL 	 	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 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
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	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals	 	1731 	549 	1249 	1798 	979 	 	171 	46 	97 	143 	95
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==See also==
* List of NHL players
* List of NHL seasons
* List of NHL players with 1000 points
* List of NHL players with 500 goals
==References==
*
Francis, Ron
Francis, Ron
Francis, Ron
Francis, Ron
Francis, Ron
Francis, Ron
Francis, Ron
Category:Lady Byng winners
Category:Frank Selke Trophy winners
Category:King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners
Category:Retired in 2004
Category:Hockey Hall of Fame