Chicago Blackhawks Nick Foligno calls for Kyle Davidson to get rid of 'careless' teammates
Photo credit: NHL.com
Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno has voiced his displeasure with teammates who are not caring about their play in an interview with Ben Pope of Chicago Sun Times, and he wants them traded.
During the Blackhawks' morning skate on Tuesday, Nick Foligno was the only one yelling at his teammates and giving them encouragement, not interim head coach Anders Sorensen, reporter Ben Pope wrote.
Foligno has been a valuable asset in guiding the youth of the franchise in hopes to bettering on and off-ice habits, and he isn't ready to stop anytime soon.
''It's my job,'' the captain said. ''I knew what I signed up here to do: try to move this forward. Whether it's in increments or big jumps, we've still got to try to push this thing forward.
Just a few weeks ago the 37-year old NHL veteran said what everyone's been thinking about former Blackhawk Seth Jones, referencing that he was a 'distraction' to the team.
Foligno believes there is still players in the room who don't really care, and he didn't mince his words when he spoke out about it on Tuesday.
''That's where you separate yourself as a guy who really cares or a guy that's just [motivated] when it's convenient, right? We're weeding out some of those things in here. We need guys who want to be a part of this. It's not easy. It's not for the faint of heart. It's hard. It's an emotional roller coaster a lot of days. But we're hoping we can start to solidify ourselves.''
The captains comment of 'weeding out' some of those 'things' (players who don't care) is set to be on full display this off-season, through potential buyouts, trades or even send downs to the AHL from general manager Kyle Davidson, of players who don't fit the current rebuilding roster.
''It's [about] making sure every guy, to a man - whoever is going to be a part of this - understands the job that's going to be needed down the stretch, into the summer and going into next season.''
Foligno has a message for the fans on Chicago's rebuild
In the same interview, Nick Foligno sent a strong message to management that changes are needing on the fly, when other teams are improving, and to not sit flat-footed while others are making moves.
''I know fans and everybody want a quick answer . . . but this is the hard part of what we're trying to accomplish,'' he said. ''You're doing it on the fly. You're not doing it while everyone else is sitting idle; you're doing it while other teams are getting better, while teams are ramping up. It's a competitive league, and that's why you don't want to get left behind.
These comments from the Chicago Blackhawks captain should certainly urge Kyle Davidson to reassess what kind of team he wants going into the 2025-26 NHL season, as patience within the fan base is ticking lower than ever.
| POLL | ||
MARS 26 | 991 ANSWERS Chicago Blackhawks Nick Foligno calls for Kyle Davidson to get rid of 'careless' teammates Do you think Connor Bedard deserves the captaincy on his chest over Nick Foligno? | ||
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| No | 832 | 84 % |
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