Blackhawks star Nick Foligno leaves team to be with daughter, 12, as she undergoes heart surgery
Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno is taking a leave of absence because his 12-year-old daughter is set to undergo heart surgery.
The team made the announcement on Wednesday ahead of the Blackhawks’ game against St. Louis.
They said Foligno is ‘taking a brief leave of absence as his daughter undergoes follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease.’
Foligno’s daughter, Milana, turned 12 on Tuesday. He also has two sons – Landon and Hudson – with his wife, Janelle.
According to People, Milana has had two valve-replacement surgeries so far, with the first coming when she was just weeks old.
She was diagnosed with endocarditis in 2018, a dangerous inflammation of the lining of the heart valves and chambers.
Nick Foligno is taking a leave of absence for his 12-year-old daughter Milana’s heart surgery
Foligno is in his third season with Chicago and has no goals and two assists in four games
Foligno, who turns 38 on October 31, is in his third season with Chicago. The forward has no goals and two assists in four games.
‘He’s a great, elite leader. He’s an extension of the coaching staff,’ coach Jeff Blashill said of Foligno.
‘And, so, now I think we have other guys in the room that can help pick it up. It’s like, as if he was injured, just next man up has to do the job.’
Foligno became the 35th captain of the Original Six team in September 2024. 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 Ottawa Senators in 2007.
He has 247 goals and 352 assists in 1,237 regular-season games, also playing for Columbus, Boston and Toronto.
