Emotional Pittsburgh Penguins Legend Reacts to Hall of Fame Induction
Photo credit: NHL.com
Penguins legend Ron Francis is set to be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame on October 25th, and he got emotional and said it's very humbling.
A couple of weeks after the Penguins had completed the trade with Hartford, acquiring Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson, head coach Bob Johnson ordered them to take it easy with a night out at a movie theater in Robinson Township.
It was a welcome break during what would become one of the most legendary periods in Penguins history.
Ron Francis, perhaps one of the all-time great two-way centers in NHL history, produced his most productive stretch of offensive hockey in Pittsburgh.
Now, he'll be honored as part of the 2025 Penguins Hall of Fame Class, along with Kevin Stevens, Eddie Johnson, and Scotty Bowman. The ceremony is held on October 25 against Columbus, and Francis commented on what it means.
"I was really excited when I heard about it," said Francis, who is now GM of the Seattle Kraken. "You don't play the game to get into Hall of Fames. You play the game to win Stanley Cups. So, when you're in it, in the moment, that's what your focus is and that's what your goal is.
"But to have the chance to go into the Penguins Hall of Fame, where I won two Stanley Cups, was part of some great teams... got to play with a lot of great players and go in with Craig Patrick and Scotty Bowman and Kevin Stevens and others that I spent a lot of those years with and became great friends with... it's extremely exciting and very humbling, to be honest with you."
"But to have the chance to go into the Penguins Hall of Fame, where I won two Stanley Cups, was part of some great teams... got to play with a lot of great players and go in with Craig Patrick and Scotty Bowman and Kevin Stevens and others that I spent a lot of those years with and became great friends with... it's extremely exciting and very humbling, to be honest with you."
Drafted fourth overall by Hartford in 1981, Francis was the Whalers' public figure until he was sent to Pittsburgh.
The timing was unfortunate, as his wife Mary Lou had just delivered their first child, Kaitlyn, four weeks earlier. But the steel-country kid from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, was an instant homeboy.
Ron Francis was the reason the Penguins won the Stanley Cup after Mario Lemieux's injury
When Mario Lemieux broke his hand during the 1992 playoffs, Francis stepped up with six goals and ten points during the last four games against the Rangers to lead the Penguins to their second Stanley Cup title.
Francis remained in Pittsburgh until 1998, with 449 assists, a Penguins' best while he was there, and third in overall points to Lemieux and Jagr.
Even after twenty years on the sidelines, he is still fifth in NHL history with 1,798 points and second with 1,249 assists.
Francis' entry into the Penguins Hall of Fame is not an acknowledgment of numbers; it's an acknowledgment of leadership, dependability, and understated greatness that helped to characterize one of the sport of hockey's all-time dynasties.
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