Francis played almost ten seasons with the Whalers, serving as captain for almost six and setting nearly every offensive record in franchise history.

He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 4, 1991, with Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings, in exchange for Jeff Parker, Zarley Zalapski, and John Cullen.

The trade became a coup for Pittsburgh, where he centred a formidable second line behind Mario Lemieux, as the Penguins won their first Stanley Cup less than three months later.

Francis was indispensable the following year, as Pittsburgh repeated as champions, in leading the team during the absence of Lemieux in the 1992 playoffs – and in scoring the Cup-clinching goal against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Francis returned to his original organization as a free agent for 1998–99, signing with the Carolina Hurricanes (who had moved from Hartford the previous season).

Francis finished his career with a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, traded there by the Hurricanes in March 2004 to allow him one last run at the Stanley Cup.

[citation needed] In June 2011, Francis assumed the position of director of hockey operations with the Carolina Hurricanes before later being named general manager of the team in 2014.

On March 7, 2018, Francis was named president of hockey operations by new Hurricanes' majority owner Thomas Dundon.

Francis is married to Mary Lou Robie, a native of Stamford, Connecticut, whom he met in Hartford during his tenure with the Whalers.

Francis is considered a popular sports figure in Hartford, Pittsburgh and Raleigh, and is also noted for his humanitarian and charity work.

Francis also has the distinction of being the first ice hockey player inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.