VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Word came out over the weekend that Hall of Fame coach and general manager Emile "The Cat" Francis, the oldest living former player from one of Seattle's professional teams, had died at age 95.
Saskatchewan-born Francis was best known as a longtime New York Rangers coach and GM, guiding that team to the 1972 Stanley Cup Final before losing to Boston. But as a goaltender, despite standing just 5-foot-6 and weighing only 145 pounds, he appeared in 95 NHL games with the Rangers and Chicago, plus 959 contests in the minor professional American Hockey League and Western Hockey League.
During his WHL stint, Francis spent 69 games with the Seattle Americans in 1956-57 and one more game in 1959-60 after the franchise was renamed "Totems." His NHL executive career included GM stops in St. Louis and then in Hartford, where his Whalers teams were captained by current Kraken GM Ron Francis (no relation).
