The Chicago Blackhawks got their first win of the year on Monday as the Hawks defeated the Utah Mammoth 3-1. Captain Nick Foligno got an assist on a powerplay goal by Andre Burakovsky in the third period, in what proved to be the game-winning goal.
The team will now be without their captain as he takes a leave of absence to care for his daughter.
“Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno is taking a brief leave of absence as his daughter undergoes follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease. Nick, nor the Blackhawks, will have any further comment at this time,” the team posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Foligno's daughter, Milana, was born on October 14, 2013, when the current Blackhawk was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would miss a total of nine games that season for personal reasons related to her birth.
Milana Foligno's journey
“When a player has a baby, he comes back to the locker room, and everyone gives him a big hug. It’s like a new addition to the team family – it’s a beautiful thing. So, I was excited to go back and share the news with my team and have that experience for myself,” Foligno described, speaking of the birth of his daughter.
The then-Blue Jackets forward then left to join his team in Detroit, but when he landed, he had multiple missed calls from his wife. His new daughter, Milana, had failed her pulse oximeter test, indicating an issue with the heart. She would be diagnosed with a congenital heart disease where the heart did not fully develop during birth. Milana has had multiple surgeries since birth, including the replacement of a valve.
This led Nick and his wife, Janelle Foligno, to form The Hearts Playbook Foundation. The foundation focuses on building community in heart health while also funding heart research. Meanwhile, Milana, now 12 years old, is living an active life, but still requires monitoring.
The Blackhawks will visit the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night, but more importantly, Foligno will be taking care of his daughter. Everyone watching and playing will be rooting for a quick recovery for Milana.
