Kraken general manager Ron Francis likes the way the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee is run and doesn’t anticipate major changes now that he’ll be running it.
Francis has been named the committee’s chair, starting next June, while additional Kraken flavor will be added to it when broadcaster Eddie Olczyk joins the 18-member panel. The Kraken GM replaces Mike Gartner in heading up the committee now that Gartner will be ascending to replace Lanny McDonald as Hall of Fame chair as his 10-year term is up.
Unlike other Hall of Fames, most notably baseball’s, the hockey version operates in anonymity, which Francis prefers to preserve the integrity of decisions being made.
“People from outside the room are not supposed to know who was nominated, who wasn’t nominated, vote counts, discussions, any of that stuff,” Francis said. “What happens in the room, happens in the room.”
Francis feels that with tough selections and debates about prospective candidates, there’s “a need for the sort of privacy to do it properly” and avoid outside influences. Many of those on the committee, including Francis and Olczyk, will have friends up for selection, or may even work for organizations with current or past employees being considered.
For instance, retired women’s hockey star-turned-broadcaster Jennifer Botterill could get consideration next summer. Her brother, Jason, works in the Kraken front office as an assistant GM alongside Francis, which would create obvious external pressures if any individual vote result was going to be made public.
That’s quite different from baseball, where hundreds of active and former writers are the ones doing the picking. And though they can opt out of having ballots publicized, many writers want their ballots disclosed and even do so on social media prior to results being announced.
But that’s not the case in hockey, where the 18-member voting group is much smaller than in baseball and comprised of former players, on-ice officials, current or former senior team executives and past or present media members. Their mandate is to nominate and elect candidates yearly from the sport – and not necessarily just the NHL – in player, builder and on-ice official categories, while outside nomination submissions from the public are also welcomed.
A maximum of four male players, two female players, two builders and one referee or linesman can be inducted annually. Unlike in other sports, there is no limit to the number of times any player can be nominated for induction, which gives some rejected names future chances as the selection committee’s composition changes.
Members are limited to five, three-year terms or 15 years total.
Francis was elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 2007 after a brilliant 23-season career in which he won two Stanley Cup titles and finished second all-time in assists. He has been on the selection committee since 2016.
“I think it’s just an honor,” Francis said of being on the committee. “It’s not the National Hockey League Hall of Fame, it’s the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s worldwide. You do this on a voluntary basis. When they called and asked me if I would consider doing it, I was humbled that they wanted me to be a part of it and honored to do it.
“There are a lot of great names on the committee, and it’s done a lot of great work. It isn’t always easy, but it’s something I enjoy doing.”
Kraken Hockey Network analyst Olczyk is one of two new committee newcomers, along with former Calgary Flames star and Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, who will both begin voting next summer.
“He just brings a vast knowledge of the game,” Francis said. “He’s played it for a lot of years. He’s been involved in it for a ton of years, broadcasted at the highest level in a ton of different events. And knowing Eddie, he’s not going to be afraid to voice his opinion and what he honestly feels.
“And that’s what we’re hoping to get once we’re inside that room.”
