Veteran forward Nick Foligno has continued to be a positive influence for the Chicago Blackhawks this season. Blackhawks brass brought the 36-year-old in to help out the next generation of Blackhawks players in Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski and more. Foligno has done a fantastic job at taking those rookies under his wing and most recently was seen in a video teaching Korchinski how to be more physical after a beatdown by the Los Angeles Kings. Today on Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk talk about Foligno’s influence.
Tyler Yaremchuk: One video that has been popping around on Hockey X has been a video of Nick Foligno and Blackhawks rookie Kevin Korchinski. Now at first glance without context, you think, “Woah, are tempers flaring in Chicago as they sit near the bottom of the NHL.” But then you get the context and it was just a box-out drill, this was a battle drill and I loved it from Foligno banging his stick and giving Korchinski that fist bump for good work.
Tyler Yaremchuk: You sit and watch this and I think there are so many great lessons to be pulled from this, from Foligno to this young Blackhawks team. This is a guy who got his two-year extension, has his $9 million in the bag, and has fought through injuries to keep his career alive, it’s game 70 whatever for the Blackhawks in yet another miserable season and here is Foligno going out there and busting his a-- in practice and setting a good example for the rookies. Having this guy around is invaluable.
Frank Seravalli: I couldn’t agree more. I’d say the most impressive part is not just the compete level in practice but afterwards banging the stick on the boards and celebrating the battle. It would be so easy for someone at 36 with a two-year extension, 1200 games under his belt and getting speed bagged in practice against an up-and-comer and high draft pick, putting him on and in a long draining season and being pi--ed off. But I love that he is celebrating it, I couldn’t agree more, this is the type of culture I think you need to have to make an NHL team successful and why they signed him to that extension. Yes, you need that money and need warm bodies but it also has to do with the right players being brought in and that’s what they did with Foligno.
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