Nick Foligno couldn’t stay away.
Just 11 days after the Chicago Blackhawks captain was traded to the Minnesota Wild before the NHL deadline, he returned to the United Center to face his former team Tuesday night. Foligno had dinner Monday with his ex-teammates — a free meal for the 38-year-old veteran.
“It was nice to see the guys,” Foligno said Tuesday morning. “It’s such a rush when you get traded, especially on a game day. It’s nice to say goodbye in a way and just catch up.”
While Foligno had been in the visitors locker room at the United Center many times before during his years with the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins, he called it “definitely weird” not to head toward the home lockers.
“(It) felt natural to walk in that other room,” he said. “It’s nice in a way to rip the Band-Aid off a little bit (by returning so quickly), but lots of emotions.”
He took the opening faceoff Tuesday evening against his former locker stallmate Connor Bedard. No. 98 backed off, smiling at something the veteran said, then came back to win the draw.
A full-circle, feel-good moment for Hawks fans. Foligno was lucky as he left his former home stadium with a win on St. Patrick’s Day.
The Wild used three first-period goals to avert a Hawks comeback and win 4-3 in overtime. It was the second straight game they allowed three or more goals in the first 20 minutes.
“There’s character in the locker room, they dig in and it speaks to their ability,” Hawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “(The Wild) were on top of their game early, and they probably don’t think they were quite as on top of it later. We just got to find a way to try to get that stretched out to 60 minutes.”
The Hawks (25-30-12) sent out all three of their captains during trade-deadline week, also dealing alternate captains Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers in separate trades.
The front office did right by Foligno in not only sending him to a Stanley Cup contender but also reuniting him with his brother, Marcus. It’s a welcome change of pace for Foligno.
“I’m looking forward to (Marcus) getting back on lineup first (from a lower-body injury), but it’s been weird being around the room and seeing him there,” Foligno said. “I don’t think early in our careers we would have appreciated (playing together) as much as we do right now.
“This far into my career, I realized the opportunity I have in front of me and these guys as well, how much this means to them, how much they care, want to do well and be that team that we envision being. It’s a fun group to come into because there’s not a lot that needs to be said.”
The Hawks and Wild are on separate ends of the roster age spectrum. The Hawks are the youngest team in the NHL (26.14 years average age) while Minnesota is the oldest (30.45).
The age gap was evident to start Tuesday, as Minnesota (39-18-12) let 17 shots on goal fly in the first period with Ryan Hartman (6:17), Marcus Johansson (7:58) and Vladimir Tarasenko (18:30) putting the puck in the net. The Hawks stiffened up defensively the rest of the way with 15 total blocked shots, but the disciplined Wild skaters were able to carry the victory.
Foligno finished with 12:31 of ice time and two shots on goal. The left winger didn’t hide that some weights had been lifted off his shoulders, being in an older room.
“Some of it’s nice to get rid of, to be completely honest,” he said. “I’m going to be who I am no matter what. That’s not going to change regardless of a letter.”
With or without a patch, the Wild are a veteran group that knows who will step up and when they need to. It’s why coach John Hynes’ team is set up for a deep playoff run.
“When you look at some of the players we’ve added, they’re veteran guys that have been leaders on a different team,” Hynes said. “It’s recognized by a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ on your jersey, but lots of times everyone can lead in their own way.
“Our leadership structure with our players that are here is open, and they’re receptive to information or thoughts from new guys. Part of being a leadership group isn’t just the three guys that wear the letters. There’s usually five to six to seven guys.”
The Hawks are in the initial steps of building their own leadership group. They’re using what they learned from their former captain to become those figures.
“(Foligno) was great with all of us,” Bedard said. “Our older guys were really patient (and) good with us. We’re very grateful for that. It’s an exciting opportunity for him to be with his brother and contending, (and we have) a lot of good memories.”
Louis Crevier and Ryan Greene scored must-have-it goals to shrink the Minnesota lead to one. In the final minutes of the third period, Bedard made the most of a 2-on-1 breakaway as he found Frank Nazar (18:20) to tie the game at three.
It was the Hawks’ third time going to extra minutes with Minnesota, with the endings being eerily similar — the Wild escaping with a 4-3 win and an extra point. Minnesota dominated the overtime period and sealed things with Mats Zuccarello’s game-winner.
The loss shouldn’t cloud the poise to claw their way back into Tuesday’s game, nor should it overshadow the Hawks’ passing their 2024-25 point total with 15 games to spare. It’s an on-ice maturity level that will continue to grow as time goes on.
“How high up in the rankings (Minnesota) is and how well we played that second half of the game, we can be right up there too,” Nazar said postgame. “It’s great to see that comparison, but we got to go out and do something.”
Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi are wearing the “A” now for the Hawks, who won’t name a new captain until at least the offseason.
“As a credit to (Foligno), his impact, although it’s missed, he did a great job of helping our guys be prepared for the moment when he wasn’t here,” Blashill said. “He helped foster leadership. I feel this as a coach, and I think you feel that as a veteran player.
“Someone in his status, you want to leave the program in a better spot than when you got it. He certainly did.”
Foligno is happy with the legacy he left on the Hawks. He compared saying his goodbyes in Chicago to saying goodbye to his kids, so he clearly doesn’t regret his time in a Hawks sweater.
“I’m excited about this group because the maturity of some of the players (and) the growth of some of the players, I’m excited to see where it goes,” Foligno said. “I leave proud and in anticipation of what’s to come.
“When (Blashill) got here, he really set the standard of what we’re trying to do and become, and I think the guys followed suit. It was fun to be a part of that.”
Blashill wants his young players to jump into those vacant leadership roles, but not at the sacrifice of losing who they are. With Foligno, Dickinson and Murphy gone, Blashill sees them doing exactly that.
“What’s important in these situations is that you remain your own personality as you step into certain leadership roles,” Blashill said. “As we lost three leaders, other guys have definitely stepped into that, but they’ve done it very comfortably.”
