Less than eight weeks after he was stripped of his title as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, Ron Francis is no longer a part of the team’s front office.
In a Monday press release, the Hurricanes announced Francis’ contract had been terminated and he would no longer serve as president of hockey operations. Francis was given that title on March 7 when he was relieved of his GM duties. In an interview on March 14 with North State Journal, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon said Francis wanted to stay on in a player personnel role.
Francis, a former team captain who is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and whose No. 10 hangs in the rafter of PNC Arena, has not been seen around the team since he was kicked upstairs in March. Interim GM Don Waddell was the Hurricanes’ representative when the team bucked the odds to earn the second overall pick during Saturday’s draft lottery.
Joe Nieuwendyk, a former GM of the Dallas Stars and himself a Hockey Hall of Famer, also resigned as a pro scout and adviser to the team, the Hurricanes said in the release.
