Ron Francis Career Points Record

Lore & Background

Drafted fourth overall in the 1981 NHL entry draft, Francis became a star for the Whalers, serving as captain from 1985 to 1990 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He won consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992, was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1995, and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1995, 1998, and 2003. He signed with the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the 1998–99 season and became team captain in 1999, winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2002, the same year he became only the fifth player in NHL history with both 500 goals and 1,000 assists. He was traded late in the 2003–04 season to the Maple Leafs, where he played his final games. He announced his retirement after the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Francis retired second in career assists (1,249), fourth in career points (1,798), third in games played (1,731), and 19th in career goals (549). Carolina retired his number 10 jersey in 2006.

Reader's Guide

Francis was known as a consistent playmaker and one of the best face-off men in the NHL. He scored the winning goal for the Hurricanes in overtime of game one of the 2002 Stanley Cup Final. He was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.

Did You Know?

• He scored the Cup-clinching goal for the Penguins in the 1992 playoffs, leading the team during Mario Lemieux's absence.
• Francis was traded from Hartford to Pittsburgh on March 4, 1991, in a deal considered one of the most one-sided in NHL history.