Greg WyshynskiApr 8, 2026, 08:37 PM ET
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
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Seattle Kraken president of hockey operations Ron Francis is stepping down from his role at the end of the season, the team announced on Wednesday.
The team said the decision was “mutually agreed upon.”
Francis, 63, was hired in 2019 as the first general manager in the franchise’s history and ran their expansion draft in 2021. He moved up to a president role last April, with assistant general manager Jason Botterill taking over as the Kraken’s executive VP and general manager.
“It has been an honor to help launch and lead the Seattle Kraken over the past seven years,” Francis said in a statement. “I am proud of the culture we built, the people we brought together, and the milestones we achieved, including our historic first playoff run. I want to thank our entire ownership group, everyone throughout the organization, and our incredible fans for their unwavering support. This organization has a bright future, and I’m grateful to have been part of its beginning.”
According to multiple sources, Botterill will take over the totality of hockey operations duties when Francis formally steps down next week.
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“Ron and I agreed that this is the right moment to make a thoughtful transition for both Ron and the organization, and move in a new direction,” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said in a statement. “He leaves behind a strong foundation of draft picks and promising prospects that will continue to shape the future of the team. We are grateful for his dedication and professionalism, and we wish Ron and his family the very best.”
Leiweke called Francis “hockey royalty” when he was hired as the first general manager of the expansion franchise, having made the Hockey Hall of Fame during a 23-year playing career that included two Stanley Cup wins with the Pittsburgh Penguins. After his playing days, Francis spent eight years running the Carolina Hurricanes, first as director of hockey operations and then general manager, from 2014-18 before becoming president of hockey operations.
Despite the Hurricanes never qualifying for the postseason during Francis’s entire tenure in their front office, he was hired to build Seattle from the ground up.
The Kraken were unable to leverage the NHL’s new expansion draft rules in the same way that the Vegas Golden Knights had two years earlier, as teams were better prepared for it. That’s one reason Seattle hasn’t had near the success of the Knights, having made the playoffs just once in their five seasons of existence: In 2022-23, when they advanced to the second round in the Western Conference after a seven-game upset over the Colorado Avalanche.
Seattle is 32-34-11 through 77 games this season. The Kraken are mathematically alive for a playoff berth, but those hopes could be quashed by Thursday night’s games.