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Dateline: May 24/02

He is among hockey's most productive players, a model package of skill, brains and endurance, captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, admired throughout the NHL and a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame when he retires.

But ask fans to name the game's greatest stars and you will likely wait a long time before someone mentions Ron Francis. While others capture the public imagination with their flair for the dramatic and larger-than-life personalities, Francis has built his career on consistency, economy, intelligence and a cool head. At the age of 39 he is coming off one of his best seasons and about to lead his long-suffering Carolina Hurricanes into the Stanley Cup final for the first time in franchise history.

Ron Francis excels at the daily business of hockey and has the numbers to show for it. Many are surprised to discover he sits fifth on the NHL's all-time scoring list. Ron Francis? Fifth all-time? Ahead of legends like Esposito, Kurri and Rocket Richard? Yes, ahead of almost everybody. Only Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Marcel Dionne and Mark Messier have more goals and assists than Ron Francis.

But while hockey is built on goals and assists, it thrives on stories, and the Ron Francis file lacks the drama, glory and sentiment that make a memorable sports story. Since breaking into the NHL in 1981, he has played most of his hockey in the half-empty arenas of Hartford, Greensboro and Raleigh. There was success in Pittsburgh, where Francis spent seven seasons and won two Stanley Cups. But during those years he ranked behind Mario Lemieux on the depth chart and behind Mario and Jaromir Jagr in the headlines. The dominant season, stirring comeback or historic goal that would have sealed his place in hockey's pantheon never happened. He simply became one of the game's most reliable and effective centremen.

Compare his career to that of the man who now sits ahead of him on the all-time scoreboard: Unlike Mark Messier, Francis has not split his time between one of the game's dynasties (Edmonton) and the media capital of the world (New York). Francis has never guaranteed victory prior to a crucial playoff game, never captured magazine covers with his steely glare of determination, never been hailed as the greatest leader in sports. Instead, he has built a less glamorous reputation as a two-way player, excelling at faceoffs, back-checking and smart plays, the kind of stuff that rarely makes the evening highlight package. Still, he has come within 160 points of matching Messier's production.

He has also shown remarkable faith in a franchise that defined mediocrity for many years. He spent almost ten seasons with the Hartford Whalers before being traded to Pittsburgh. By the time he became a free agent in 1998, the Whalers had moved to Carolina. Francis joined the Hurricanes, who were struggling to win games and find an audience.

After 14 mostly grim years in a Hartford/Carolina uniform, Francis can finally look around and see a worthy supporting cast. Other Hurricanes get more headlines - goaltender Arturs Irbe and the dynamic rookie, Erik Cole, are media favourites - but there is no mistaking the axis of this team. They don't call him "Ronnie Franchise" for nothing.

Francis looks like he could play several more years. But his name will never carry the romance of those who skated with the great hockey empires, will never evoke memories of the spectacular end-to end rush or thrilling international victory. In this golden age of sports marketing, when gaudy, whiz-bang highlight films reduce the game to big goals, big saves and big hits, it's hard to imagine a player like Francis exerting much hold on the public imagination after he retires. His name means little to casual fans, so it's not likely to endure.

He has no cause to complain about the career hockey has given him. But perhaps over the years he occasionally wondered how his story might have unfolded had he played in a different time or different place. It must make the spring of 2002 that much more rewarding for a man who, after 22 seasons, remains one of hockey's best kept secrets.