Blackhawks Captain Takes Shot at Former Teammate

"There’s also a cohesiveness with the group, right? We’ve gotten rid of some distractions, so to speak," Foligno told reporters after the game against Colorado. "Now there’s just a group that’s trying to get better, trying to find a way to improve. Sometimes when you make hard decisions, they end up benefitting the group.

"I think you’re seeing that, I think you’re seeing a product of that. Guys are playing together, they’re playing for one another, they’re playing to grow something here. Not worried about what’s gone on or what guys are feeling. It’s everyone in here that’s pulling on the same rope."

Considering a reporter asked Foligno what's changed in the last "five or six games," it's not hard to connect the dots here.

On March 1, the Blackhawks traded defenseman Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick. Before that, though, Jones publicly requested a trade out of Chicago and put the team on blast following a loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Feb. 25.

"I think we're the same team as we were in Game 1," Jones told reporters after that game. "And I think it's pretty evident out there we haven't made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team." 

Obviously Foligno wasn't going to call Jones out by name, but reading between the lines, it's easy to see this as a thinly-veiled jab at the newest Panthers defenseman.

Foligno, 37, may not be part of the Blackhawks' long-term plans, but it's clear that the team respects him and views him as a good mentor for the younger players. They wouldn't have made him captain if they didn't view him in that light, after all. So if he's making these comments, then it's worth taking note of.