Symetra First Shift: Ron Francis' One-Year Anniversary as GM

There is a first time for everything. Proving the point,
Symetra
is the
first founding partner
of NHL Seattle, joining the franchise in June 2019. Our partner is proud of that "first" and so are we.
To honor the origin story and tell more of them, we created the "Symetra First Shift" series to highlight select first milestones and occasions for fans as we build a hockey team that sets its sights on winning Seattle's first (there's that word again) Stanley Cup since the Metropolitans achieved the feat in 1917.
No pressure, Ron Francis, NHL Seattle's, first general manager, but today we do give notice to this fact: It marks Francis' one-year anniversary of
his hiring announcement last July 18
, an event sponsored by Symetra. The Hockey Hall of Fame player and proven NHL GM has been busy and productive in Year 1. He's the perfect opening subject to take a Symetra First Shift.
Let's get skating:

First Shift:
"We started last year with the first step of getting ready to scout [pro and amateur players] to prepare for the NHL Expansion Draft and the prospects draft, both in 2021," says Francis. "We needed to build our own system, determine what categories mean, develop good data and reports. There's a lot of little things when you start an NHL franchise from scratch.There's so much to do, flying to meet with architects about dressing rooms in the Arena one day, talking to people about our plans the next day, hoping to miss things. Then doing the exact things for building out our training center at Northgate. It's exciting."

Calendar Calculus:
The COVID-19 pandemic created a relentless guessing game of when amateur and pro leagues will play again-and with it help Francis and his front office staff to better evaluate the players who might be part of the inaugural NHL season and those youngsters who might be drafted when Seattle joins the process in 2021. The NHL plans to stage its 24-team postseason tournament beginning Aug. 1 but no fans or scouts will be on hand in person. Live games will likely start in Europe first, then North America. Francis can tick off every international (and North American leagues' proposed start date, but it is all a version of hockey calculus. Lots of derivatives and not really seeing the whole picture until it factors out. "It's a bit like the date for my daughter's [Kate] wedding," says Francis, smiling and noting the blessed event was first scheduled for earlier this year, then later this year and now well into 2021.

Hiring Highlights:
Last summer,
Francis added the experienced Ricky Olczyk
as the team's first assistant general manager (a future Symetra First Shift series installment) to be part of the brain trust that will fit together NHL Seattle's expansion team roster. Olczyk's decade as an NHL assistant GM (six years in Edmonton and four with Francis in Carolina), along with Cornell law degree and professional standing as an attorney qualifies him to take the team lead on all things related to the NHL salary cap. Also officially joining Francis' top ring of hockey operations leadership last summer:
Alexandra Mandrycky
, named Director of Strategy and Research with the key duty of leading and building a hockey analytics team. Mission accomplished to date for Mandrycky with a full staff hired and in process of developing the Seattle franchise's systematic approach to advanced hockey data and statistical analysis.

Scouting the Scouts:
Francis and Olczyk were busy late last summer and early fall
putting together the team's first five pro scouts
attend and scout as many NHL and American Hockey League games as feasible. The scouts work out of their hometown bases, filing reports on hundreds of players who could potentially be available via the NHL Expansion, trades and free agency preceding the 2021-22 season. Here's the group:
"It was fantastic to add our first five scouts to the team and, as we think ahead to the 2021 Expansion Draft, their roles will be key," says Francis. "This group has such phenomenal hockey experience and meshed together during our first pro scouting meetings last January."

Year 2 and Future Roles to Fill:
Francis said this week, before the COVID-19 pandemic altered the NHL calendar, he and NHL Seattle leadership anticipated upwards of 25 to 30 hockey operations staffers would be added in the first half of July. The timing has changed, but those hires will needed as the Seattle franchise and league itself shakes out of the details of future seasons, especially 2020-21. There will be vital hires such as the strength and conditioning director, head athletic trainer and head equipment manager. "We've got to be ready to go live," said Francis. "It sounds early, but we have to stock all of the pants, gloves, helmets, plus the bikes and weights. It takes time." Francis and Olczyk have numerous people in mind to fill out a robust pro and amateur scouting staff, but until the various levels of play resume and scouts able to attend in person, Francis says he will be prudent about onboarding people. "Our ownership has been fantastic [the hiring budget and timeline]," says Francis. "We could hire 15 scouts and not be ready to scout live until January. Now we're sitting back a bit. We are focused on doing things the right way."