Ron Francis Hockey Hall of Fame Tribute

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Ron Francis - Like a Rock
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Former Carolina Hurricanes captain and current Assistant General Manager, Ron Francis is being officially inducted into the hockey hall of Fame tonight. He'll be joined by Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, and Al MacInnis, all worthy Hall of Fame candidates in their own right. While we offer congratulations to all 4 inductees, Canes Country blog is just going to focus on "The Franchise" for the moment. Ron might not have been the fastest skater. He didn't have the hardest shot in the world, nor was he the most physical presence on any of his teams. But no one was going to out-think Ron Francis on the ice. Francis ended his career as one of the most consistent scorers in the history of the sport! Here are some of his significant records:

• 2nd all time in assists 1249


• 3rd all time in games played 1731


• 4rth all time in points 1798


• 20 years of 20 goals or more (one other player to match)


• 2 Stanley Cup Championships


• 3 Lady Byng Awards


• 1 King Clancy Award


• 1 Selke Award


• 4 NHL All-Star games

Ron Francis was a complete player, a consistent player, and most importantly, a team player. He didn't always receive the notoriety or accolades that he deserved, but he never complained. The Hurricanes franchise is extremely fortunate to have Ron back in the organization and all area hockey fans reap the benefit of this Hall of Famer living in the area. Congratulations to Ron and his family on this special occasion!

There will be a ton of articles out there today, but here are links to a few that I have seen so far.

ESPN video
Hurricanes questions and answers
Francis ambassador to youth hockey
The Best Class Ever!
Induction press release
Tarheel of the week
NHL.com Hall of Fame Career

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Ron Francis - another tribute
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