Buccaneers' Jake Francis named Clarky Award finalist for sales rookie honor

The Des Moines Buccaneers got another offseason lift when Sr. Director of Sales Jake Francis was named a finalist for the USHL Clarky Award in the Sales Rookie of the Year category. The nod spotlights the business side of junior hockey, where ticket sales, sponsorships and fan-facing work help steady a franchise while the hockey staff builds the roster.

The USHL launched the Clarky Awards as an inaugural league-wide honors program for the 2025-26 season, with finalists announced June 9 and winners announced June 18. Clubs were allowed one nomination per category, and members of the USHL League Office voted to determine the finalists. In the Sales Rookie of the Year category, the league recognized a first-season sales representative who made an immediate and meaningful impact through performance, dedication and enthusiasm for the game.

Francis fit that profile through a fast climb inside the Buccaneers’ operation. He joined the club partway through the 2023-24 season as a part-time staff member, helping with sponsorship activation, building operations and ice management. By summer 2025 he had moved into a full-time role as Sales & Operations Manager, where he took on sponsorships, ticketing and gameday operations, before being promoted to Sr. Director of Sales and handed oversight of all ticket sales and partnership agreements.

Buccaneers president of business operations and alternate director Eric Grundfast said Francis’ work reaches far beyond a single department. "Jake's impact to the organization can be felt across all facets of the business," Grundfast said. Grundfast also pointed to Francis’ efforts building partnerships with schools in the Des Moines metro and across Central Iowa, along with growth in the team’s season-ticket base.

That business growth matters because it underpins the rest of the operation in a league built on close budgets and local support. Strong ticket sales, sponsorships and community ties can help create the financial base that supports roster building, travel, staffing and day-to-day operations. In Des Moines, where junior hockey has depended for years on sustained interest from fans and local businesses, the sales department is as central to stability as the hockey department.

The Buccaneers have plenty of history to back that up. Founded in 1980, the club says it owns four Clark Cup championships and four Anderson Cup championships, and has sent 54 players to the NHL, including Kyle Okposo, Alex Chiasson, Trevor Lewis, Davis Drewiske and Erik Cole. The team plays home games at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex in West Des Moines, where Francis’ rise gives the front office another reason to celebrate while the summer work continues.