As the Blackhawks hurtled toward the start of training camp Thursday, they did so without a captain at the helm once again. That all changed Wednesday morning, when the biggest question of the offseason was finally answered. The Blackhawks had to pick between two great options, but they obviously made the right choice.
After announcing the news, the Blackhawks released a pretty sweet video of the moment Foligno was named captain. It certainly shows why he deserves the title – he’s a clear leader who prioritizes family, both on and off the ice.
Foligno was a pretty obvious choice, considering the only concern about his captaincy is how long he’ll be around (he’s 36 years old and has two years left on his deal). However, there couldn’t have been a better choice for the Blackhawks to make for someone to follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Toews, their most recent captain.
Since stepping foot in Chicago last summer after being traded from the Bruins, Foligno has been a natural leader on the ice and in the locker room. He emerged last season as the team’s de facto captain, so the new “C” on his sweater is just a formality. Foligno is practically an assistant GM at this point, too. Every free agent the media has spoken with this summer said they heard from Foligno, and every draft pick got texts or calls from him when they were brought on. If that’s not the mark of a great captain and leader, I don’t know what is.
Though Foligno is a great choice to be the team’s next captain, the decision wasn’t that easy for the Blackhawks. Some argued that Connor Bedard should be given the title, considering he’s the face of the team and should be around for another decade or more. Bedard certainly wouldn’t have been a bad choice – he’s a great leader in his own way and leads by example with a ridiculous work ethic. Bedard will clearly be the captain at some point, but he’s also still 19 years old, and still plays under a tremendous amount of pressure as the “future of hockey”. I’m perfectly fine with him waiting a few more years before becoming captain, especially since everyone sees Foligno as the captain anyway.
