In early May, the Whalers hired Emile Francis as president and general manager of the club. As a player, Francis was a goaltender who played with the Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Rangers from 1946 to 1952, in which he had a record of 32-52-10 and a 3.75 GAA in 95 games. Following his playing career, Francis was the head coach and general manager of the New York Rangers from 1965 to 1976, where he led the team to a 342-209-103 record. From 1970 to 1973, Francis led the Rangers to three consecutive 100+ point seasons. After he was relieved of his duties in January 1976, Francis joined the St. Louis Blues as general manager and executive vice-president. Francis also was the head coach of the team for 124 games, as St. Louis had a 46-64-14 record. Francis accepted the position with Hartford, as St. Louis was having severe financial problems during this time.
