By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
This week, the Maine Mariners have been busy. The Mariners recently re-signed forward Owen Gallatin to a new contract and signed head coach Rick Kowalsky to a three-year contract extension. Now, the Mariners have made another move for this week.
Today, the Mariners signed forward Ryan Francis for the upcoming 2026-27 ECHL season. The Mariners are Francis’ fifth different ECHL team in his career.
Francis, 24, was the former 143rd overall pick in the 2020 National Hockey League Draft by the Calgary Flames and is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since being drafted in 2020, Francis has yet to play an NHL game. Francis hasn’t played an American Hockey League game since the 2023-24 season with the Ontario Reign and has been playing in the ECHL since the 2022-23 season. However, at 5’9″, 185 lbs, Francis brings speed to Maine’s lineup.
Francis spent the 2025-26 ECHL season with the Atlanta Gladiators, where he recorded 30 points in 68 games. Francis’ 23 assists were tied for the third-most on Atlanta’s roster among forwards. Francis didn’t play for Atlanta during the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Francis’ best ECHL season was when he recorded 47 points in 57 games for the Trois-Rivières Lions in the 2022-23 season. In his ECHL career, Francis has recorded 117 points in 192 games.
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