Ron Francis
Ron Francis
Ronald Michael Francis, Jr.is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and the current general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. Drafted fourth overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Francis played 23 seasons in the NHL for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. Upon retiring from professional ice hockey in 2004, Francis stands second all-time in career assists, behind only Wayne Gretzky; fifth in career points; third in games played;...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionHockey Player
Date of Birth1 March 1963
CountryCanada
The quicker you help bring those young guys along the better it is for everybody on the team, ... The quicker they come along, the better chance we have of winning because they are going to help you and contribute to the success. So ultimately, that's what we are all doing is trying to win and be successful. So if the young guys are another piece of the puzzle, the quicker we can get them to fit in the better off we all are.
If it comes that the four of us are wearing a jacket at the same time, that's certainly a picture I'd love to have in my rec room.
If that happens, I certainly want a picture of all of us for my own wall,
I always joked in years past that when that time came I would send a fax in from the Caribbean.
I always said put me in front of 40 or 50,000 people and play hockey, I'm comfortable there. Put me in front of 50 people to talk or get in front of, and that's where I'm probably the least comfortable.
I think anybody would certainly be honored to have their name mentioned with Wayne Gretzky,
For me, that team was very special. We didn't win, but I don't think anybody gave us a chance to accomplish what we did. At the end of the day, it was a fantastic experience.
My personality is not one that goes out looking for that (publicity). If anything, I probably bring a little bit of that on myself because I tend to shy away from that limelight. But it was never about that. It was about playing the game. And the thing I'm most proud of over the length of my career is probably the consistency. That is the best part.
Looking back overall, it was a long ride. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be that long, but I certainly enjoyed many aspects of it and look back with fond memories and absolutely no regrets. It was a great part of my life.
I think every team heads into the season believing they have a chance, and certainly we're no different here, ... And I think our experience two years ago shows that it's certainly possible. And look at Anaheim last year. Nobody picked them to have a chance and yet they got there. I think we're certainly capable of doing that. I think our team is ready to get back to the level where we were two years ago.
I am not saying that if we win Game 3, we win that series, but it certainly would have put us in the driver's seat.
All week, I wasn't sure how it was going to go, how I was going to react. I had a lot of sleepless nights leading up to tonight. It was kind of a remarkable feeling. ... When I went out on to the ice, I had to hold it together and get through it. It was a fun night.
Every goal is a highlight film.
I always said put me in front of 40 or 50,000 people and play hockey, I'm comfortable there. Put me in front of 50 people to talk or get in front of, and that's where I'm probably the least comfortable.