Esteemed coach, general manager and Hockey Hall of Famer Emile “The Cat” Francis passed away Saturday at the age of 95.
Mr. Francis joined the St. Louis Blues in 1976 and served as executive vice president, general manager and coach during his stint in St. Louis, which lasted until 1983.
Under Mr. Francis’ watch, the Blues set a team record with 107 points during the 1980-81 season, which stood until the team won the Presidents’ Trophy with 114 points in the 1999-2000 season.
“Mr. Francis was such a tremendous competitor. No one wanted to win more than he did,” Bernie Federko told stlouisblues.com. “He gave everything he had to build the Blues into a Stanley Cup contender. We all had so much respect for Mr. Francis and I never met anyone who was as honest with all of us as he was. He had so much fire in him that motivated all of us each and every day. He was one of a kind and will never be replaced.
“Mr. Francis was the most loyal man I ever met and he played such a huge role in my career and my life,” Federko added. “I will always be grateful for his friendship and his fatherly advice.”
In 778 NHL games behind the bench, Mr. Francis went 388-273-117 in 13 seasons with the Blues and the New York Rangers. He reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 11 of his 13 seasons.
Mr. Francis also served as the general manager of the Rangers from 1964-76 and the Hartford Whalers from 1983-89.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 1982.
