Prospect Update: William Francis

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks selected defenseman William Francis in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 163rd overall. He played in his third season of NCAA hockey last year.

Francis has dealt with serious injuries and health concerns over the last several seasons. In August, it was announced that he’d had a relapse and his cancer had returned. He ended up not just missing the fall semester of hockey, but of school, too. He returned to school in the new year after recovering completely. He is now cancer free. He played in one exhibition game for Minnesota Duluth in January.

I had two expectations for Francis last summer, and he missed them both. First, I wanted him to play in a majority of Minnesota-Duluth’s games. Second, I wanted him to record at least two points. For most players, missing out on those marks would be a disappointment. For Francis, given all that he’s had to go through over the years, it’s not. Instead, it is simply a sign of everything he’s had to deal with.

Francis will be returning to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the upcoming season. I only have one expectation for Francis this coming season, for him to play hockey. It can be one game or 40, it doesn’t matter. I just want him to be able to play as much hockey as he safely can.

Sixth round picks rarely make it to the NHL, and Francis’ path to the NHL has been more difficult than most. Playing in only one game this past season has made that even more difficult. Hopefully he can get his playing career back on track this coming season. Francis is an incredible longshot to make it to the NHL, but if he can have a solid finish to his NCAA career, maybe he’ll get an entry-level deal from the Ducks, or at least an AHL deal with the Gulls. Even if that’s all he gets, that will still be an incredible accomplishment given all that he’s been through.

The next prospect update will be on forward Coulson Pitre.

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September 14th, 2024