CHICAGO (AP) Nick Foligno and the Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a two-year contract, extending the relationship between the popular forward and his fifth NHL team.
The team announced the deal on Friday. It runs through the 2025-26 season and carries a $4.5 million salary-cap hit.
“The impact Nick has already had on our team in such a short time is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to helping the players around him succeed,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in the release announcing the deal. “Hard-working on the ice, the energy he brings every night and his versatility to play in any situation have been tremendous assets.”
The 36-year-old Foligno has eight goals and nine assists in 39 games this season. He was placed on injured reserve last week after he fractured a finger in a fight with New Jersey defenseman Brendan Smith, who had leveled Connor Bedard with a big hit that broke the rookie center’s jaw.
Chicago acquired Foligno in a trade with Boston in June, and he agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Blackhawks. He had 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games with the Bruins last season.
The Blackhawks brought in Foligno to provide a veteran presence and help mentor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NHL draft. While Chicago is playing without a captain this season, Foligno has become one of the team’s most important leaders on and off the ice.
“Nick is just a great guy to have in the locker room,” defenseman Seth Jones told reporters after practice. “He’s a great leader. He’s a great person. He’s a great speaker, and he knows how to communicate with older guys, young guys ... to kind of bring us all together.”
Foligno was selected by Ottawa in the first round of the 2006 draft. His father, Mike, played in the NHL for 15 years, and his brother, Marcus, plays for Minnesota.
Nick Foligno broke into the league with the Senators in 2007. He has 223 goals and 319 assists in 1,120 regular-season games, also playing for Columbus and Toronto.
“He’s been great,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “We knew he would be, and I knew he would be, too. ... That’s a huge boost for us moving forward to have him here.”
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