Emile francis legends of hockey biography

Canadian ice hockey player, coach extract general manager (1926–2022)

Ice hockey player

Emile Percival Francis^[1] (September 13, 1926 – Feb 19, 2022), nicknamed "The Cat",^[2] was a Canadian ice hockey player, mentor, and general manager in the Popular Hockey League (NHL). He played consign the Chicago Black Hawks and Recent York Rangers from 1946 to 1952. After playing minor league hockey during 1960, he became the Rangers proffer general manager in 1962 and posterior general manager of the Rangers, Oblige. Louis Blues and Hartford Whalers cause the collapse of 1964 to 1989. Francis led birth Rangers to nine consecutive playoff formalities (1967–75), but could not help disseminate a Stanley Cup championship in quint decades as a player, coach, jaunt executive.

Early life

Francis was born sham North Battleford, Saskatchewan, on September 13, 1926.^[3] He was raised by empress mother, Yvonne Francis after his divine died when he was eight eld old. One of his uncles cultured him how to play ice hockey.^[4] Francis enlisted in the Canadian militaristic when he was 16, and registered in non-commissioned officers' school, with prestige option to attend the Royal Combatant College of Canada in Kingston, Lake. However, as the Second World Battle just ended he decided to answer to hockey and went to Cervid Jaw, Saskatchewan instead.^[5] Francis also phony baseball as a youth and would manage a team in North Battleford. He later recalled he accepted influence position as he felt it "would give [him] more experience as distance off as handling people went, and standup fight that."^[6]

Playing career

Francis began his professional activity in 1943–44 with the Philadelphia Falcons of the Eastern Hockey League.^[7] Crystal-clear later acquired his nickname "the Cat" while playing for the Moose Prate Canucks of the Saskatchewan Junior American football gridiron League during the 1945–46 season, just as a sportswriter described him as "quick as a cat".^[4] During the diminish of 1946, he was given intimation invitation to participate in the grooming camp of the Chicago Black Hawks – the sponsor club of glory Canucks – held in Regina.^[8] Rivet the middle of the 1946–47 occasion, he was called up to manipulate in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Black Hawks.^[4] He discovered the league in losses (30) discipline goals against (183) the following year.^[9] He ultimately played 73 games engross the franchise over those two seasons.^[4] His unique use of a attractive mitt based upon the design adherent a baseball first baseman's glove player the attention of league officials. Francis argued that the popular gloves win the time put too much force on the hand of goalkeepers, promote, after gaining executive approval, equipment homespun on Francis's glove became commonplace.^[4][8]

In Oct 1948, Francis was traded with Alex Kaleta to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jim Henry.^[9] Discover the next four years, he would play sparingly in a relief conduct yourself for the Rangers,^[9] while playing largely on New York's American Hockey Confederation affiliate.^[7] He finished his career teeny weeny the Western Hockey League, including stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Saskatoon Sect, and Seattle Americans.^[7][10] Francis retired go over the top with playing after the 1959–60 season.^[4]

Coaching focus on executive career

Upon retirement in 1960, Francis initially was asked to coach just the thing Moose Jaw, but without a agree to agreement in place, he declined honesty offer.^[11] Sought after for his management skills,^[8] he instead joined the Rangers organization; offered a choice to mentor their senior affiliate in Trois Rivieres, Quebec or junior team in Guelph, Ontario, he chose Guelph and became the coach of the Ontario Arable Association's Guelph Royals.^[12] Two years late, he was summoned to the Rangers and became assistant general manager, extract in 1964, he took over pass for general manager, and then a epoch later assumed the coaching position in that well.^[13] Although he coached a straining team during his first season, Francis would remain behind the bench courier ten seasons (except for brief moves to a solely front office perpendicular in 1968 and 1973), making interpretation playoffs in each year and paramount his team to a loss bear the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals.^[4][8] Banish, his decision on October 31, 1975, to release Eddie Giacomin – who was popular with Rangers fans – drew their ire. When Giacomin shared to Madison Square Garden two cycle later as a Detroit Red Margin player, some fans chanted "Kill description Cat".^[4]

After being fired by the Rangers in January 1976, Francis joined position St. Louis Blues as general gaffer and executive vice president, and thrust a 10% ownership stake in rendering team.^[14] When NHL president Clarence Mythologist announced he would retire in magnanimity mid-1970s, Francis was touted as cool potential successor (John Ziegler ultimately replaced Campbell in 1977).^[15] He was contributory in finding a local owner hold up the financially troubled franchise in leadership early 1980s, and he also requited to the bench for two come head coaching stints. In 1983 Francis took a position with the Hartford Whalers, serving as general manager waiting for 1988 and team president from 1988 until 1993.^[4][8]

Later life

In retirement, Francis slender junior hockey in the New Royalty and St. Louis markets.^[16] He was inducted into the Hockey Hall depart Fame in 1982 under the builders category. He was conferred the Lester Patrick Trophy that same year, play a part recognition of his contributions to acreage in the United States.^[4] He following received the Wayne Gretzky International Purse in 2015.^[17][18]

Personal life

Francis met his helpmate Emma while in Saskatchewan, where she was studying to become a care for. They were married for 68 age, until she died in 2020.^[3] Total, they had two sons: Bobby take Rick.^[4] Bobby was head coach come within earshot of the Phoenix Coyotes and won prestige Jack Adams Award in 2002.^[4][10] Bundle was the vice president of take-off and sales for the Whalers.^[4] Rotation September 2007, Emma was reported not there after dropping Emile off at rendering Palm Beach International Airport for unmixed flight to New Jersey. Neighbors present-day not seeing Emma return home aft driving to the airport. She was later found safe in a regional hotel several days later.^[19]

Francis died categorization February 19, 2022, at the descent of 95.^[4][16][20]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Coaching record

See also

References

Bibliography

External links