Francis’ resume on the ice is well documented. He was selected fourth overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1981 NHL Draft and would go on to star for 22 years in the league. After starting with the Whalers, he would go on to win two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and later play six seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes before finishing his career with a 12-game stint with Toronto in 2004. When he retired he was fifth all time in points with 1,2449, played in 1731 games, and scored 549 goals.

The organization itself is declining to comment, but there is word tonight that Seattle’s NHL expansion team is closing in on naming Ron Francis as its first GM. We’ll see how events unfold the next few days; things have been percolating the last few weeks. — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 17, 2019