Ron Francis is stepping away from his role as president of hockey operations for the Seattle Kraken, the team announced Wednesday, closing the book on the executive tenure that started with building the franchise from the ground up before its NHL debut. The organization is framing the move as a planned handoff designed to spell out exactly who is in charge of the day-to-day roster calls.
In a team release, CEO Tod Leiweke said, "Ron and I agreed that this is the right moment to make a thoughtful transition," according to The Seattle Times. The outlet reports the announcement arrived via a club statement that described the change as mutually agreed.
Francis' tenure and milestones
Francis helped assemble Seattle’s inaugural roster and oversaw the 2021 expansion draft that stocked the club’s first lineup. As detailed by NHL.com, he moved into the president role last April when the Kraken restructured hockey operations, splitting long-range strategy from day-to-day management.
His shift upstairs was billed as a way to keep his fingerprints on the franchise’s long-term identity while loosening his grip on the everyday grind of player moves and cap maneuvering.
Botterill will run day-to-day operations
Jason Botterill, who was promoted to general manager in 2025 after serving as the club’s assistant GM, will handle the Kraken’s daily roster and personnel work, ESPN reports. Botterill has already been responsible for several notable offseason moves, and the organization has signaled it expects him to drive trades, signings and short-term roster construction.
In practical terms, that means the buck on who plays where, who gets moved, and who gets paid now stops at Botterill’s desk.
What this means for Seattle hockey
The change formalizes a two-tier leadership model: a president tasked with long-term planning and a GM empowered to handle immediate personnel choices. League coverage has framed the split as an attempt to preserve institutional knowledge while giving a single executive clearer authority over roster construction, an approach NHL.com reported the Kraken adopted last year.
For Seattle fans, the front-office depth chart just got cleaner. Francis retains the legacy of having steered the expansion build, while the day-to-day chess moves now belong squarely to Botterill.
