Nick Foligno pauses NHL career for daughter’s heart surgery

Sudbury native and Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno will be away from the NHL team for the time being to attend to a family matter.

A statement from the Blackhawks this week said Foligno’s absence will allow him to be present for his 12-year-old daughter, who is battling major health issues.

He “is taking a brief leave of absence as his daughter (Milana) undergoes follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease,” the team said in a statement.

“Nick, nor the Blackhawks, will have any further comment at this time.”

Milana, who turned 12 on Tuesday, was born with a congenital heart defect. She is the eldest of the Foligno’s three children. They also have two sons, Hudson and Landon.

“Milana was only three weeks old when she had her first heart surgery to insert an expandable stent,” the statement said.

“She’s also had other procedures on her heart, including a valve replacement after being diagnosed with endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart’s inner lining, in November 2018.”

‘That one was for him’

“We’re praying for him and his family and everything that’s going on,” Chicago forward Frank Nazar said after the Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues 8-3 on Wednesday.

“That one was for him. It’s something we as a group talked about before and after the game.”

In 2020, Janelle Foligno, Nick’s wife and Milana’s mom, wrote a children’s book, ‘Dear Heart: A letter to my special heart,’ based on the family’s experiences with Milana.

Foligno spent three seasons with the Sudbury Wolves and was a first-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2006.

He has 247 goals and 352 assists in NHL 1,237 games with the Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and the Blackhawks.

He was acquired by Chicago, along with forward Taylor Hall, from Boston for defencemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula on June 26, 2023.

He was named the Blackhawks captain Sept. 18, 2024.

Foligno, who will turn 38 on Oct. 31, has two assists in four games this season. He is in the final season of a two-year, $9 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value) he signed on Jan. 12, 2024.

“He brings a lot to the table,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said before the game Wednesday.

“He’s a great, elite leader. He’s an extension of the coaching staff. We have other guys in the room who can help pick it up.”