Seattle Kraken president of hockey operations Ron Francis is stepping down at the end of the season, the team announced Wednesday.
Francis moved into the president role last summer after serving as the Kraken's general manager for the franchise's first six years, starting his tenure two years before Seattle's inaugural 2021-22 campaign. Jason Botterill succeeded him as GM and will lead the team's hockey operations following Francis' departure.
"Ron and I agreed that this is the right moment to make a thoughtful transition for both Ron and the organization, and move in a new direction," Kraken CEO Todd Leiweke said in a statement.
The Kraken have lost six straight games to fall out of the wild-card race in the Western Conference. Seattle has made the playoffs once, upsetting the Colorado Avalanche in the 2023 first round before losing in seven games to the Dallas Stars.
"It has been an honor to help launch and lead the Seattle Kraken over the past seven years," Francis said. "I am proud of the culture we built, the people we brought together, and the milestones we achieved, including our historic first playoff run."
Francis was previously GM of the Carolina Hurricanes from 2014-18. The team didn't make the playoffs during his tenure.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, and New Jersey Devils are teams currently without general managers.
