Nick Foligno’s Columbus run started with a trade on July 1, 2012, and it quickly turned into one of the defining stretches in Blue Jackets history. The Jackets landed him from the Ottawa Senators, then signed him to a three-year deal a few days later. Ottawa had already moved on from a player who had spent five years there and posted 148 points, choosing Marc Methot in return after also trying to swing a deal for Rick Nash, who refused to go to Ottawa.
From there, Foligno settled in and became exactly what Columbus needed. His first seasons with the Blue Jackets looked solid enough, starting with 19 points in 45 games during a year shortened by a labor dispute.
Then came 2013-14, when Columbus reached the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Foligno played 70 games, scored 18 goals, and finished with 39 points, but the moments that stuck were in the postseason.
He scored twice in the playoffs, including an iconic game-winner at Nationwide Arena against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 2014-15 season was the one that put everything together. Injuries tore through the roster, but Foligno still delivered the best scoring year of his career: 31 goals, 42 assists, and 73 points in 79 games.
He and Ryan Johansen were the team’s two healthiest regulars, and they carried a heavy load. That year also brought the 2015 All-Star Game in Columbus, plus Byng and Selke votes and his first hat trick.
By the end of the season, the Blue Jackets named him captain.
Foligno never matched that point total again, but that was never the whole story. His value went far beyond the box score.
He was a physical presence, a teammate’s protector, and a player who never backed away from a fight. On more than one occasion, he dropped opponents with a single punch.
Columbus kept climbing with him leading the way, reaching the playoffs in four straight seasons, a franchise record. The wins over Tampa Bay and the Maple Leafs in the bubble in 2020 both belong on his resume, and so does the image of him giving Steven Stamkos those crazy eyes during the sweep of the Lightning.
In 2021, Foligno agreed to a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2021 first-round pick as Columbus headed into a rebuild. He was chasing a championship, but Toronto did not win that year. He later signed with Boston in July and spent two seasons there, which ended with Foligno on the wrong side of a historic loss.
He signed with Chicago in June of 2023, seemingly to help protect top overall pick Connor Bedard. In 74 games with the Blackhawks, he scored 37 points, which is tied for the fifth-highest total of his career.
Before the 24-25 season, Chicago named him captain. He played 78 games that year, scored 15 goals, and finished with 35 points.
Last season, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild and played with his brother.
The numbers in Columbus still tell the story of a franchise staple. Foligno ranks fifth in Blue Jackets history in games played with 599, fourth in goals with 142, fifth in assists with 192, and fifth in points with 334. He’s also seventh in power-play goals with 33, has no short-handed goals, ranks sixth in penalty minutes with 466, and sits fifth in fights with 27.
His impact went well beyond the rink. In 2016, Foligno and his wife donated $1 million to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and Boston Children’s. Those hospitals are credited with saving his daughter’s life after heart defects were discovered, and the family also started The Hearts Playbook to help other families get the best heart care possible.
Nick Foligno is a Columbus legend. His numbers may not scream Hall of Fame or jersey retirement, but his full body of work - on the ice and off it - made him a fan favorite and a standard future captains will have to chase.
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