San Diego Gulls Sign Will Francis to Amateur Tryout (ATO)

Mar 20, 2025

The San Diego Gulls announced today that the American Hockey League (AHL) club has signed defenseman Will Francis to an amateur tryout (ATO).

 

Francis, 24 (11/16/00), was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft (163rd overall) by the Anaheim Ducks. Francis appeared in 37 career NCAA games with the University of Minnesota Duluth from 2021-25, collecting one assist (0-1=1) and 29 penalty minutes (PIM). He skated in a total of four games for the Bulldogs this season, posting five PIM. A 6-5, 215-pound defenseman, he also recorded 3-11=14 points with 151 PIM and a +9 rating in 69 career United States Hockey League (USHL) games with Cedar Rapids.

 

The St. Paul, Minn. native missed the entirety of the 2020-21 and 2023-24 NCAA seasons for UMD as well as a majority of the 2021-22 and 2024-25 seasons due to multiple treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease that he has defeated three separate times since first being diagnosed in 2020. Francis returned to play on March 8 at St. Cloud State after skating in two games to begin the 2024-25 season before beginning his third round of treatment.