Francis agrees to terms with Mariners

PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Mariners, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins and American Hockey League's Providence Bruins, have signed forward Ryan Francis to a contract for the 2026-27 season.

A 24-year-old forward from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Francis was a fifth-round selection (143rd overall) of the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He made his professional debut in the 2021-22 season with Calgary’s AHL affiliate at the time, the Stockton Heat.

Francis spent the 2025-26 season with the Atlanta Gladiators, skating in 68 games and registering 30 points (7g-23a). He also appeared in six games with Atlanta in 2024-25.

Francis’ most notable ECHL season came in the 2022-23 campaign, when he posted 47 points in 57 games with the Trois-Rivieres Lions. Since then, he’s spent time with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Adirondack Thunder, in addition to the Gladiators. He’s appeared in 192 career ECHL games, plus an additional 27 in the AHL for Stockton, Laval and Ontario.