Chicago Blackhawks’ Nick Foligno left game vs. Devils early with injury

The Chicago Blackhawks announced that winger Nick Foligno left Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils early due to an undisclosed injury.

It’s unclear as to what caused the injury, just that Foligno, 36, left the game after his fight with Brendan Smith early in the second period and did not return. Foligno was fighting Smith as a response to the Devils defenseman hitting Connor Bedard and injuring him earlier in the game. Foligno had one shot and nine penalty minutes in 7:26 of ice time as the Blackhawks lost 4-2.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said after the game that there’s no update on either Bedard or Foligno, but they’ll know more on Saturday.

Foligno has been having one of his more productive seasons in recent years, with 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points in 39 games, largely benefitting from playing alongside Bedard a decent amount. That would put him on pace for 35 points in a full 82-game season, a total that he hasn’t hit since the 2018-19 season.

Even as he’s gotten older, Foligno continues to be one of the best defensive forwards in the league. His 9.1 defensive goals above replacement is tied with Alex Iafallo for 23rd in the league among forwards since the 2020-21 season.

Foligno was originally the 28th-overall selection for the Ottawa Senators in the 2006 NHL Draft, and spent five seasons in the Sens organization before he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Marc Methot in 2012. He then spent parts of nine seasons in Columbus, including six as the team’s captain, before he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2021 trade deadline. He then signed with the Boston Bruins for two seasons that offseason, and then saw his negotiating rights traded to the Blackhawks at the end of that contract in the 2023 offseason, where he then signed his current one-year, $4 million contract.

The Blackhawks will look to end a five-game losing streak in spite of all the injuries that they’ve suffered when they host the Calgary Flames on Sunday at 3 p.m. EST. They currently sit in last place in the Central Division with a 11-26-2 record, and have the second-worst record in the league.