(Seattle) The Seattle Kraken have granted a contract extension to general manager Ron Francis, who is now under contract through the end of the 2026-2027 season.
Hired as the team’s first general manager, Francis navigated a tough first season before seeing the Kraken qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their second season.
Francis has assembled a competitive squad without having to sacrifice the long-term future of the team or complicate the task with the salary cap.
“Ron has done exceptional work over the past four years and deserves this award,” Kraken co-owner Samantha Holloway said in a statement. He assembled a quality team and established Seattle as a hockey market. He is building for the long term future of the team and is dedicated to the city, our fans and our community. »
Francis had previously worked for the Carolina Hurricanes for seven seasons. He started as director of hockey operations before becoming general manager in 2014. He left the Hurricanes after the 2017-2018 season.
The Kraken took the opportunity to gift the expansion team building orders to the Hall of Famer.
The team went 27-49-6 in its first season and finished last in the Pacific Division. Francis, however, traded veterans and racked up draft picks and space under the salary cap. This allowed him to perform important maneuvers during the off-season.
The Kraken notably signed forward Andre Burakovsky as a free agent and obtained winger Oliver Bjorkstrand via a trade. The arrival of rookie Matty Beniers also had a significant impact.
All this allowed the Kraken to present a record of 46-28-8 and reach the plateau of 100 points. The team then defeated the Colorado Avalanche, the defending Stanley Cup champions, in the first round of the playoffs, before surrendering to the Dallas Stars in the second round.