Blackhawks Captain Takes Shot at Former Teammate

The Chicago Blackhawks feel they are playing with more cohesion after the trade deadline.

Jon Alfano | Mar 13, 2025

Feb 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Nick Foligno (17) warms up before a game against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are in the final stretch of what's been another tough season, as they sit as the second-worst team in the league with 49 points.

Lately, though, they've been playing better than their record would suggest.

Chicago began March on a five-game point streak, even manhandling a likely playoff team in the Los Angeles Kings 5-1 on March 3. That point streak came to an end in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, but the Blackhawks still played a fairly solid game and entered the third period with a scoreless tie.

So, what's changed? Well, some recent comments by captain Nick Foligno may shed some light on that.

Chicago Blackhawks players during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes

Apr 14, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek (34), defenseman Seth Jones (4), forward Nick Foligno (17) and forward Connor Bedard (98) wait for a ruling by the referee during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

"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.

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Published Mar 13, 2025

JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.