FEATURE: Foligno Provides Veteran Presence, Leadership to Roster

On June 27, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that the team signed forward Nick Foligno to add a veteran presence within their roster.

Despite a third to last finish at the end of the season for the Blackhawks, Foligno accepted the challenge to start a new opportunity with the Blackhawks. In Chicago, He also mentioned that a new standard can be set along with new goals not only for the team but for himself as well.

"I think we're looking forward to that opportunity and that challenge of setting a standard and trying to get our team to adhere to that and to improve every single day," Foligno said. "It lines up with where I'm at in my career and the drive that I still have to compete and win and hopefully it'd be a great marriage."

The Blackhawks acquired Foligno from the Boston Bruins that also included Taylor Hall in exchanged for Alec Regula and Ian Mitchell. The New York native produced 525 points (215G, 310A) in over 1,000 games played in his career spilt between four teams.

Along with Hall, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson viewed these two players that can help with the development of the younger players in the future. Davidson wanted to focus on a heavier veteran presence but also valued the productive aspect that Foligno could provide.

"I think the ability to acquire two veteran players in the NHL is really important for our team building concept and the development of our young players," Davidson said. "[We heard] amazing reports on both and so, I think it's just checked some important boxes that we wanted to cover in this offseason."

With head coach Luke Richardson at the helm, Foligno knows the standard that he and the Blackhawks hockey operations have set to earn his ice time within the lineup. From there he can help start a new culture for Chicago.

Along with the culture, they also wanted to focus on the leadership group and the relationships that are formed within their roster. For Foligno, he stated he can fit that role with his previous experiences as a captain for the Columbus Blues Jackets.

"That's where I think I can excel and help and what I try to do in my career," Foligno said. "I think when you have a team that really truly cares about one another, that is excited to come to the rink, that understands the work that needs to go into becoming better, but is enjoying themselves, when they're when they're there, then those rooms usually start to set a standard and a culture."

Some examples of the relationships he built with current Blackhawks included a stint with Seth Jones in Columbus for six seasons. He also started his career with the Ottawa Senators where he played with Richardson for two seasons and played under him as an assistant coach.

Richardson noted that Foligno can provide the leadership style after he served as the team captain for Columbus from 2015-21. With a potential roster of younger players, the forward can provide a mentorship with his experience.

"He was a captain in the league for a long time and there's a reason for that," Richardson said. "I think that's going to be huge for us, and not just for Connor [Bedard], that's for our whole culture here and the team. Moving forward in the organization, we want to go in a new direction, and we want to start fresh, and I think we've done that, but you still have to surround guys with some experienced [players]."

With a few months until the start of the season, Foligno looks forward to helping the Blackhawks become a dominate team with a strong foundation once again.

"There's a lot of excitement going into this season," Foligno said. "I think we're really pumped to be a part of that and hopefully, we can help push this team where we expect it to go."