Oilers ink veteran forward Francis

TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa Oilers, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues, announced the signing of veteran forward Chris Francis for the 2018-19 season.

Francis, 29, arrives in Tulsa after splitting the 2017-18 season with the Quad City Mallards and Wheeling Nailers. The former Mallards captain had six points (3g-3a) in 11 games before he was traded to Wheeling, where he totaled 20 points (8g-12a) in 35 games. Francis has 276 points (114g-162a) in 401 ECHL games throughout his seven seasons and was an ECHL All-Star in 2012-13. The Las Vegas, Nevada native skated for his hometown Wranglers from 2011-14 before playing for Oilers' Head Coach Rob Murray in 2014-15 in Alaska.

Francis turned pro in 2010-11 after an impressive junior career with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He started his rookie season with the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons where he notched two points (1g-1a) in four games. He then played the majority of the year with the Central Hockey League’s Fort Wayne Komets before finishing that season in the ECHL with Las Vegas.