FOX Sports Carolinas' DRIVEN series continues with 'Ron Francis: A Hockey Legend'
RALEIGH -- FOX Sports Carolinas will debut DRIVEN -- Ron Francis: A Hockey Legend, presented by Toyota on Friday, Sept. 25, at 11 p.m. ET.
DRIVEN -- Ron Francis: A Hockey Legend chronicles the extraordinary NHL career of Hockey Hall of Famer and Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis, and his distinct impact on three different NHL teams: the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. In addition to an extensive interview with Francis, the show will feature exclusive dialogue from former teammates and NHL executives, including:
-- Joel Quenneville, current head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks and Francis' former teammate in Hartford
-- Rod Brind'Amour, current assistant coach of the Carolina Hurricanes and Francis' former teammate in Carolina
-- Rick Tocchet, four-time NHL All-Star and Francis' former teammate in Pittsburgh
-- Jim Rutherford, current general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, responsible for signing Francis to the Carolina Hurricanes, where Rutherford was GM from 1997-2014.
"I was fortunate enough to be on really good teams in Philadelphia before going to Pittsburgh with Ron," Tocchet said. "When we went to play Hartford, the first thing we heard from coach in the pregame speech was 'you gotta watch this Francis kid.'"
Drafted fourth overall by the Hartford Whalers, Francis enjoyed a successful 23-year playing career, currently ranking third in career games played (1,731), second in career assists (1,249) and fifth in career points (1,798). DRIVEN will explore the consistency, durability and mental acuity that helped Francis lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons (1991, 1992) and propel him into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"You look back on those times, and as great a moment as it was then, it's something you take with you for the rest of your life that just gets better and better," said Francis regarding the back-to-back Stanley Cups. "It's a tremendous feeling."
The show will also explore how Francis joined the Hurricanes front office after retiring from the NHL and his path to becoming general manager in 2014. Francis was integral in helping the Hurricanes establish themselves in a new market when he joined the team as a player in 1998.
"(As a player), it became appealing to me to come to Carolina and try to sell the game of hockey," Francis said. "[As GM], I take a ton of pride in this organization and this community. We have tremendous fans here who have given us great support over the years, and I want to get them a product on the ice of which they are extremely proud."
"I feel really confident because we have a guy at the top that understands the game and understands what it takes to win," Brind'Amour said. "That really is what it's all about."
Francis' Carolina Hurricanes begin the 2015-16 NHL regular season against the Nashville Predators on Thursday, October 8 on FOX Sports Carolinas. Coverage of the season opener will feature a special one-hour edition of Hurricanes LIVE! at 7 p.m. ET.
DRIVEN â Ron Francis: A Hockey Legend
Debut:
Sept. 25: 11 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Carolinas/South/Tennessee
Re-airs*:
Sept. 30: 11 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Carolinas/South/Tennessee
Oct. 7: 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Oct. 8: 6 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Carolinas
Oct. 8: 11 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Carolinas/South/Tennessee
Oct. 9: 1 a.m. ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Oct. 15: 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Oct. 18: Noon ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Oct. 21: 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Carolinas
Oct. 22: 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Oct. 30: 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Oct. 30: 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Carolinas/South/Tennessee
*Re-airs subject to territorial restrictions
Debuting in 2012, DRIVEN is an award-winning original series featuring stories of dedication, focus and success both on and off the field of play. DRIVEN will continue next month with an episode centered on the Atlanta Hawks, followed by National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Famer Danny Manning. Previous episodes this year have included DRIVEN â Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits, DRIVEN â Matt Crafton: Born to Race, DRIVEN â John Smoltz: A Hall of Fame Career and DRIVEN â Georgia Tech's 1990 Championship Season.
