'Burgh's Best to Wear It, No. 10: Often overshadowed, Ron Francis was vital to the Penguins' success

The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.

No. 10: Ron Francis

It’s not the greatest goal in Penguins history.

Heck, it’s probably not even the most famous goal of their Stanley Cup run in 1992.

Much like the man who scored it, it’s often overlooked, but it was absolutely vital to the Penguins’ success.

Without it, the Penguins likely would not have been back-to-back champions in the early 1990s.

With star forwards Joe Mullen and Mario Lemieux out with injuries — the latter thanks to a vicious slash by New York Rangers forward Adam Graves — center Ron Francis stepped up in about every way and led the Penguins to a vital victory in Game 4 of the 1992 Patrick Division Final at Civic Arena.

Trailing 4-2 in the third period, the Penguins had just killed a major penalty. Francis was just trying to get the puck down ice for a line change.

But instead of just firing it into the corner, he launched a blistering slap shot from outside the offensive blue line, beating Rangers goaltender Mike Richter.

“I just kind of buried my head and took a slap shot on net,” Francis said in 2010. “I mean, I could shoot probably a thousand pucks on Richter like that again. He probably stops all 1,000 of them. But that one time it went in. Good for us.”

The Penguins tied the score later in the period, and Francis won the game 5-4 by completing his hat trick. That win was the first of an NHL record 11 consecutive victories that culminated in the franchise’s second Stanley Cup. Francis, by no coincidence, scored the championship-clinching goal in a 6-5 road win against the Chicago Blackhawks that spring.

Acquired the previous season along with defensemen Grant Jennings and Ulf Samuelsson from the Hartford Whalers in one of the biggest trades in NHL history, Francis became one of the greatest players in NHL history thanks largely to his service with the Penguins.

Usually overshadowed by the likes of supernovas such as Lemieux or Jaromir Jagr, Francis was a superstar in his own right. A gifted passer, he reached the 100-point barrier twice with the Penguins and led the NHL in assists twice during his eight seasons with the Penguins.

Beyond his skills, Francis’ quiet dignity and leadership made him one of the most respected players in the franchise’s history. When Lemieux retired for the first time in 1997, Francis was an easy selection to replace him as captain.

By the time Francis retired as an active player in 2004, he was the NHL’s fourth-leading scorer with 1,798 points. One of the NHL’s greatest faceoff specialists, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Other No. 10s of note in Pittsburgh:

• A first-round pick in 1974, forward Pierre Larouche had a brief-but-bright run over parts of five seasons with the Penguins in the late 1970s. In 1975-76, he became the first player to reach the 100-point mark by setting what were then team records of 111 points and 53 goals in 76 games.

• One of the greatest players in Pirates history, centerfielder Lloyd Waner hit at least .300 10 times during his 17 seasons in Pittsburgh throughout the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. Along with older brother Paul manning right field for the Pirates, the Waners hold the MLB record for most combined hits by brothers (5,611). In 1967, Lloyd was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

• Quarterback Kordell Stewart had a roller coaster of a career with the Steelers. A second-round pick in 1995, Stewart inhabited his famous “Slash” role as a quarterback/running back/wide receiver during his rookie season and helped the team reach Super Bowl XXX. Taking over as a full-time quarterback by 1997, Stewart reached AFC championship games twice but also missed the playoffs three times.

• A first-round pick in 2006, wide receiver Santonio Holmes spent only four seasons with the Steelers but was vital to their victory in Super Bowl XLIII. Catching the winning touchdown pass with only 35 seconds remaining regulation, Holmes earned MVP honors for the game as the Steelers won their sixth championship.

• A free agent signing in 1971, kicker Roy Gerela became one of the more popular players for the Steelers during their dominance throughout the 1970s. Cheered by a fan club dubbed “Gerela’s Gorillas,” the Alberta native was a two-time Pro Bowler and helped the Steelers win Super Bowls IX, X and XIII.

• One of the greatest players in Duquesne history, guard Norm Nixon still holds the school record for career assists with 577. Helping lead the Dukes to the Eastern Eight championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1977, Nixon was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers that year. A two-time NBA All-Star, Nixon won two championships at the onset of that franchise’s “Showtime” era.

• A native of Wampum, guard Don Hennon spent three seasons at Pitt and helped the Panthers reach the NCAA Tournament in 1957 and ‘58. A first-team All-American selection in 1958, Hennon finished his NCAA career as Pitt’s leading scorer in 1959 with 1,841 points. A sixth-round pick of the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals in 1959, he turned down professional basketball to become a doctor.

• Coming out of Shady Side Academy, Paul Martha entered Pitt as a quarterback in 1961 but converted to running back by 1962. He found great success at that position, becoming an All-American in 1963 and helping the Panthers to a 9-1 record and a No. 3 ranking that season. A first-round pick in 1964, Martha spent five seasons with the Steelers before becoming an executive with the San Francisco 49ers and Penguins.

• Recruited out of Texas, quarterback Alex Van Pelt spent four seasons at Pitt in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While the Panthers were not successful during that era, Van Pelt broke many of Dan Marino’s passing records, including the single-season mark for yards with 3,163 in 1992. An eighth-round pick of the Steelers in 1993, Van Pelt never played for the team but became an occasional starter with the Buffalo Bills in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Check out the entire ’Burgh’s Best to Wear It series here.