Ron Francis was the face of the Carolina Hurricanes when I started going to the games.  He started as a Whaler, left for a few years to win a Stanley Cup or two, and then came back to the Hurricanes.  I know there are a few people out there who are upset with him for chasing the cup when we traded him to Toronto, but I am not one of them.  Francis gave the Canes a lot of great years, and was a great leader and a great benefactor to our community.

It's not every day that you know, with 100% confidence, that you're watching a future hall of famer on the ice, and certainly during his time in Raleigh, we all knew where he was going.

"The Ageless Wonder" we called him.  Francis was 41 when we traded him to Toronto.  In his final years in the league, he never missed more than a few games.  We could always count on him.

He was also a rallying point for the team and the fans.  I remember when Scott Stevens knocked him out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2002 for several games. That hit made enemies of the Devils, and Scott Stevens became "Public Enemy #1" in the minds of Canes fans.  During the following years, it was always fun being in the arena when the Devils came to town because every time Stevens touched the puck, the arena would erupt in a chorus of loud BOOs, which would stop as soon as he passed it to someone else.

At any rate, it was an honor and a pleasure having Ron Francis call our building home.  I hope to see you at the RBC Center on January 28.

HURRICANES TO HONOR RON FRANCIS, JAN. 28
Team to Retire Former Captain's Familiar No. 10

RALEIGH, NC - Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team will honor its former captain and 23-year National Hockey League star Ron Francis prior to and during its game on Saturday, Jan. 28 against the Atlanta Thrashers. The team will formally retire Francis' familiar No. 10 jersey during a pre-game ceremony, and honor the franchise's all-time goals, assists and points leader throughout the game.

"No ceremony could fully pay tribute to what Ron Francis meant to the Hurricanes organization and the National Hockey League," said Rutherford. "Aside from being this franchise's all-time best player on the ice, Ron has been an example of class and dedication throughout his brilliant career to his teammates and in the communities where he has played."

Francis announced his retirement on Sept. 14, 2005, following a 23-year NHL career with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto. In 1,731 NHL regular-season games, Francis scored 549 goals and earned 1,249 assists, to rank him fourth all-time on the league's points list behind Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe. Francis' 1,249 assists rank second only to Gretzky (1,963) and he ranks third on the games-played list behind Howe (1,767) and Messier (1,756).

The Hartford Whalers drafted Francis in the first round, fourth overall, in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. Francis played with the Whalers for 10 seasons before joining Pittsburgh at the trading deadline of the 1990-91 season. He spent seven full seasons with the Penguins before rejoining the organization that drafted him, when the relocated Carolina Hurricanes signed him as a free agent on July 13, 1998. In 16 seasons with the Hartford/Carolina franchise, Francis played in 1,186 games, scoring 382 goals, earning 793 assists for 1,185 points, all of which are franchise records.

During his playing career, Francis played in four NHL All-Star games, won the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct) three times (1995, 1998, 2002), the Frank J. Selke Trophy (best defensive forward) in 1995 and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (leadership/humanitarian/community work) in 2002. He also won the Alka-Seltzer Plus Award in 1995 when he led the NHL in plus/minus, and was a key member of the Penguins' Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1991 and 1992.

The Hurricanes chose the Jan. 28 game against Atlanta to honor Francis because it falls on a Saturday night, giving fans and families a better opportunity to attend the pre-game ceremonies honoring Francis. As an added benefit, Hurricanes season-ticket holders, mini-plan holders, suite holders and corporate partners can currently purchase individual-game tickets for the Jan. 28 matchup. Individual game tickets for the Jan. 28 game, and all other Hurricanes home games in December and January, will go on sale to the general public on Nov. 1.

The Carolina Hurricanes continue a three-game home stand tomorrow against the Boston Bruins (7 p.m., Hurricanes Radio Network) before facing the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday (7 p.m., Fox Sports Net, Hurricanes Radio Network). Individual tickets for all Hurricanes games at the RBC Center in October and November can be purchased at the RBC Center box office, all TicketMaster outlets, by calling 919-834-4000 or via CarolinaHurricanes.com. For information on Hurricanes season-ticket packages and mini-season ticket plans, please call 1-866-NHL-CANES.