Nick Foligno

0:00The Minnesota Wild Podcast is presented exclusively by AcroShield. So, free mail, right? Yeah, but it was nice to see the guys. Obviously, it's such a rush when you get traded. Especially on a game day. You're trying to stay out of their way. So it was nice to see goodbye in a way. Just catch up and see how things have been. I've obviously made it known how much I care about this group. So it was nice to see those guys and catch up a little bit. What are your emotions coming back this quick? Yeah, definitely. We just felt natural to walk in out of the room, probably more than anything. You know, maybe it's nice in a way to get a ripped band-aid off a little bit with just coming back, but lots of emotions. Listen, I'm so thankful for my time here and what it's meant to me and my family and the people that we've come to know on and off the ice. So it's kind of special that I get to kind of come back here this quick and then celebrate it in a way with them and be able to thank the fans and the organization for believing in me. It's as hard as maybe a couple of parts of the seasons where I love my time here

1:04and absolute cherish being in the leadership role that I was, but also just with the group of guys and staff and playing for this organization. It's one of the premier organizations in the league and it was special to be able to be a part of it. Expect a lot of chirping tonight. Oh, yeah. But it's like them chirping their dad so they can't get too much before they get on the line and off the smack them back into it, but no, it'll be awesome. It'll be awesome. It'll be, you know, it'll be, you know, at the end of the day, I got a job to do for this team now and they're going to job to do as well. So I think they know me well enough when the puck drops. I'm pretty serious out there. So it won't be as many smiles as probably a normal game, but yeah, I'm looking forward to just being out there with them and battling against them and we got to get a big win here tonight for our group and keep going here. I mean, there's a couple of weeks in now. What's it been like for you to be with this team and play with your brother? Again, and be inserted into a playoff? Yeah, I'm looking forward to him getting back on the line up first, but it's been weird just being around the room and seeing them there, right? It's not something we're used to. And I said, like, I don't think maybe early in our career we would have been

2:04appreciated as much as we do right now. But also just for me to be in this group, being, you know, this far into my career, I think I realized the opportunity to have in front of me and these guys as well and how much this means to them and how much they care and want to do well and be that team that we envision being. So it's a fun group to come and do because there's not a lot that needs to be said. There's such a veteran presence, they have such a mindset and an understanding of who they are and it's fun to walk into a room like that. That knows who they are, knows what makes them great and can get there on a nightly basis. So yeah, I'm really thankful that I have this opportunity and I'm not going to squander it. I'm going to do everything I can to help this team, you know, push forward. If you said that, like, you said talking to the team as you got straight, you said it was like saying goodbye to your kids. Yeah. Maybe I mean the hardest goodbye you had in your career. Yes and no. I mean, leaving Columbus after so many years was tough too. But, you know, this one just because you see what's coming, right? I think I'm excited about what this group is because it's the maturity of some of the players, the growth of some of the players and I'm excited to see where it goes. So I think I leave proud and, you know, an anticipation of what's to come, right?

3:07So that was hard to say goodbye to because you almost want to be here for those moments when they get it, when they figure it out and they're going to. So that was probably the hardest thing and you just, you really liked the direction things were going, right? Like, we've been through it for a couple of tough years and I think I made, you know, made comment of it when Blasch got here. He really set the standard in him and the coaching staff of what we're trying to do and become and I think the guys have followed suit, so it's fun to be a part of that. But, yeah, it's special being back and being able to see, you know, what these guys are going to be able to do, but also knowing that I'm fully committed to what I'm doing here now, right? And that's my job to give these guys everything I have. And I think they know that that's where my heart is right now. And I'm excited about that opportunity. The best place to go for all your Minnesota wild audio needs is the official Minnesota Wild podcast presented by Acres Shore. Everything Minnesota Wild related, including highlights, press conferences, players, coaches, general managers, and more. It's available on the official Minnesota Wild podcast presented by Acres Shore.

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