Two-time Cup winner Ron Francis rejoins Pens as advisor

Two-time Stanley Cup winner Ron Francis rejoined the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday as a special advisor for hockey operations.

The Hall of Fame forward played eight of his 23 NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, winning back-to-back championships in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

"Ron has a deep affinity for the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins. He cherishes his time spent here as a player where he had tremendous success and is an outstanding ambassador for the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh," general manager Kyle Dubas said. "Ron's playing experience, management experience, and familiarity with the Penguins and Pittsburgh will be a great benefit to our organization and all members of our management team. We look forward to having a person of Ron's experience and character in our front office as we continue to work to build the Penguins back into a perennial Stanley Cup contender."

Francis, 63, will assist with strategic planning and roster construction and will provide expertise and counsel during key events such as training camp, the NHL draft, the trade deadline and free agency, the team said.

Francis spent the past seven seasons with the Seattle Kraken, serving as their first general manager from 2019 until he was promoted to president of hockey operations in 2025.

Before that, Francis worked in the front office of the Carolina Hurricanes for 12 years, including as executive vice president and general manager from 2014-18.

Francis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. The four-time All-Star won the Lady Byng Trophy three times and the Selke Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy once each.

He scored 549 goals in 1,731 games and ranks second all-time in assists (1,249) and fifth in points (1,798). He also played for the Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs.

--Field Level Media