From L to R: Kraken president Tod Leiweke, General Manager Ron Francis and principle owner Samantha Holloway
You can watch the entire Ron Francis news conference plus Kraken president Tod Leiweke’s one-on-one with Northwest Newsradio’s Ryan Harris in the video below:
The man who’s captained the Seattle Kraken organization from the beginning will stay ‘at the helm’ an additional three years.
General Manager, Ron Francis, signing that three-year contract extension means he’ll lead the franchise through at least the 2026-27 NHL season.
Francis showed a great deal of humility, saying it’s about a lot more than him, thanking the owners for providing them with top-tier facilities and never saying no when it comes to the players’ needs. Francis says, “In doing so, you’re creating an environment that players want to be playing in, and people want to come to Seattle and play for the Kraken.”
Kraken president, Tod Leiweke, tells Northwest Newsradio’s Ryan Harris building the team from the ground up was already a difficult job, but then Francis did it basically hogtied by the pandemic. “What doesn’t eliminate you makes you stronger,” Leiweke says, “and so I think that, you know, our team came back stronger this year and, from game one, it felt like they were ready to take a huge step forward, and they did. We had a heck of a year.”
Leiweke adds that with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the fight for the AHL’s Calder Cup and good judgment when it comes to the draft, Francis has set the Kraken up for a strong future.
