Ron Francis Becomes the Latest NHL Star to Announce Retirement

Ron Francis made the formal announcement on Wednesday that he was retiring from hockey after a 23-year NHL career. He joins Mark Messier, Scott Stevens and Vincent Damphousse as some of the big names to retire since the lockout was settled.

The 42-year-old Francis ends his career as the NHL's 3rd all-time leader in games played (1,731), 19th all-time in goals (549) and fourth all-time in points (1,798). Only Wayne Gretzky accumulated more career assists than Francis' 1,249.

It was an emotional day for Francis who was a four-time league All-Star and a three time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy, given to the NHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship and gentlemanly play.

'As a kid growing up in the little city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, I dreamed of one day playing in the NHL, but never did I expect it to be as much fun as it turned out to be,' Francis said in a statement. 'I thank everyone who I came in contact with during this long ride for their contributions to making it fun.'

Perhaps the most fun Francis had was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins where he won back-to-back Stanley Cups playing alongside Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Tom Barrasso. He also helped lead the Carolina Hurricanes to an unlikely run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2002.

In addition to playing for Pittsburgh and Carolina, Francis also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Hartford Whalers.