On July 25, the Wolves announced that forward Dominic Franco had signed a contract to return to the team for the 2024-25 season. In ’23-24, the 28-year-old had four goals, eight assists and 90 penalty minutes in 56 games with the Wolves.
Just as important was Franco’s impact off the ice. The Class of 2020 graduate of West Point honored Military Families with his “Friends of Franco” program and earned the 2024 Dan Snyder Man of the Year Award.
We caught up with Franco while he was home in Rhode Island to discuss his return to the Wolves and much more.
What are your overall thoughts on returning to the Wolves?
I’m super-excited. I really enjoyed my time there last season. The fans are amazing. Living in Chicago is awesome and with all the history and stories behind the Wolves it’s definitely special to a part of.
We kind of have a little sour taste after last season. We thought we should have had better results so I’m excited to hopefully be a part of a better year for the Wolves and for the fans who do a great job of supporting us.
You really meshed well from the start last season. What makes you such a good fit with the organization?
I really like that there’s a really big family component. This season will be a little different with a lot of new coaching staff coming in, but between the front office staff, the coaches, trainers and equipment staff there are a lot of people who have been there for a while and have put a lot into the organization. It only fuels us as players to do everything we can to put the best possible product out there for them. Generally, that translates to better play and better success and that’s all of our hopes for next season.
How did your individual game improve last season?
Last season was a big one for me in that my role expanded a bit. My first three seasons playing I traditionally was playing bottom-line minutes. They are important and a big part of my game, but last season I was thankful to get some time in a few more offensive scenarios and I was leaned on in those crunch-time moments. For players, that’s our dream. Those are the moments that keep us moving forward.
On a development side, just being a part of those moments were a big thing for me to gain confidence. That will hopefully keep the trajectory of my game going in the right direction.
Anything specific in your game that you want to see an even bigger improvement?
The biggest thing for me in a 72-game stretch is consistency. That’s what separates players. As they get older in their careers the players that stick around and continue to develop and get better are the players that do the best job of being consistent night in and night out. That doesn’t always translate into goals, assists and points but it has to be there to be competitive and execute out there.
It requires a lot of work off the ice and in the strength room. Taking care of the body is a big component, especially as I get a little older in my career.
I would also love to add a little more offensively. Last season, I definitely did but it’s always something we work on. When you’re on that third-fourth line threshold that can be a big separator for you. That’s a big focus of mine this summer and hopefully it translates into the season.
How gratifying was it to have “Friends of Franco” be so successful?
It was unbelievable with the number of people I was able to meet and hear their stories and also meet a lot of their children. It’s just so special to see a connection I definitely wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t made the choice to go to West Point.
It’s really cool to say you have a link with some of these amazing people and getting them to come to a game. There are a ton of people who hadn’t been to games before and then I’d see them around the rink throughout the course of the season. It’s super-cool to see them become fans of the Wolves and fans of hockey and being able to meet them and hear their stories is definitely special.
My goal is to definitely keep the same stuff I did last season but I hope to find something I can build on even more and do more outside the rink. I was able to attend a couple of veterans events and networking events for veterans and that was really cool to meet them and see a lot of people making that transition from the military into the workforce.
What do you like to do when you’re away from hockey?
Golf is definitely No. 1 but I’ve gotten into fishing a bit more this summer. It’s something I should have been doing for a while since the fishing is really good in Rhode Island.
I’ve also had a couple of beach days here and there and I have a hockey school I run in Rhode Island and that keeps me busy in the summer.
Coming soon: Part 2.
