Nick Foligno Takes Leave of Absence From Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks will be without forward Nick Foligno for a time, as they've announced that he is taking a leave of absence from the team for a family matter.
The Blackhawks announced Nick Foligno will be taking a "brief leave of absence" as his daughter undergoes follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease pic.twitter.com/pXe36nH1UK
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 15, 2025
Foligno's 12-year-old daughter is undergoing follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease, and our thoughts and best wishes are with the Foligno family.
The 37-year-old forward is the grizzled veteran on the young Blackhawks roster, and in addition to his leadership, he's been filling a couple of roles on the ice thus far this season, playing both on the wing, as well as at center in the bottom-six. He has two points in four games, with an average 14:15 of ice-time per night.
He's on an expiring contract with a $4.5 million cap hit, and can become an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
The scrappy forward has been an incredible leader for the young team since arriving for the 2023-24 season. He's rejuvenated his career, with 15+ goals & 35+ points in each of the last two years.
He's compiled 247 goals and 352 assists for 599 points in 1,237 career games over 19 seasons.
Foligno started a foundation for his daughter called The Heart's Playbook.
The Heart’s Playbook is a foundation started by Nick Foligno and his wife Janelle after their daughter, Milana, was born with congenital heart defects.
— The Rinkside General (@RinksideGeneral) October 15, 2025
I'd invite every #Blackhawks fan to support them in any way you can:https://t.co/reEZB7s9jX https://t.co/AFNtuprzwQ pic.twitter.com/Mw3sgUMQCx
Photo: © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
