SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle’s National Hockey League expansion team has announced its choice for general manager — Ron Francis, a Hall of Famer and a two-time Stanley Cup winner.
He will have complete control of operations under Seattle Hockey Partners CEO Tod Leiweke. The yet-to-be-named team will debut in 2021.
Francis had been with the Carolina Hurricanes for 12 years and was general manager from 2014-18 after retiring as a player. The Hurricanes didn’t make the playoffs while he was there.
Francis played 1,731 games over 23 seasons for the Hurricanes, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992.
The Seattle club also said Thursday more than 32,000 fans have put down deposits on season tickets and another 25,000 are on a waiting list.