"Ron Francis Named President and Jason Botterill Appointed GM of Kraken"

The Seattle Kraken promoted Hall of Famer Ron Francis to the role of president of hockey operations on Tuesday and elevated Jason Botterill to executive vice president and general manager.

This decision was made one day after the team fired head coach Dan Bylsma, who had only been with the team for one season. Botterill will now lead the search for Bylsma's replacement, according to the team.

Francis, who is 62 years old, was originally named the Kraken's first general manager in 2019 after previously serving as an executive with the Carolina Hurricanes.

"In today's league, there are many more demands in the role of a general manager," Francis stated. "Based on my conversations with other teams, it seems that having two individuals working together is a stronger model and leads to better results."

Botterill, who is 48 years old, previously served as the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017 to 2020. He also spent four seasons as an assistant with the Kraken during the franchise's early years.

"What makes this transition smooth is that I have already worked for the Kraken and I am familiar with our processes and the people who make it all happen," Botterill explained.

"So, it's not like I am a new person coming in and have to learn everything from scratch. I already know our players, prospects, and staff, and we can hit the ground running without any delays."

Prior to his time with the Sabres, Botterill was a part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016, and 2017.