Nick Foligno said the Minnesota Wild’s schedule-release video brought him back to his childhood.
In the clip, Foligno and his younger brother and Wild teammate, Marcus, sit in the back seat of an SUV, going on a road trip to show off Minnesota’s slate of games. Their father, former NHLer Mike Foligno, is driving.
“Dad was the star of the show,” Nick Foligno said. “It was pretty hilarious. He ad-libbed his parts, and we honestly laughed more than we got the right takes.”
There was the moment when Marcus knocked a hot dog out of Nick’s hand in front of the Sudbury, Ontario, general store. (The brothers cleaned up the mess, noting they own the store.) In other moments, their dad quipped, “Don’t make me come back there,” and, “I’ll turn this car around.”
“I’ve heard that a few times,” Nick joked.
brothers will be brothers#mnwild | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/4jxwEZpckb
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) July 17, 2026
The tour, which started in Sudbury and ended in front of the Grand Casino Arena, illustrated another year of hockey to come for Nick Foligno, who is entering his 20th NHL season. Foligno, 38, mentioned the possibility of retirement after the 2025-26 season, but it became clear early in the summer that he wasn’t done. He signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with Minnesota on July 2.
“I remember when we lost (to the Colorado Avalanche), and I felt like there was a moment of extreme sadness after the game, like a, ‘What the hell just happened?’” Foligno said. “I kept waiting for the moment of like, ‘I’m done. This is it.’ And it never really came. …
“I was excited to start training camp. I was almost excited to get back at the Colorado Avalanche next year for knocking us out. My thoughts were never about, ‘I’m going to sail off into the sunset.’ I was more pissed, like ‘I want another crack at them.’”
Foligno wanted to make sure his family was bought in, too. His wife, Janelle, and three kids — daughter Milana, 12, and sons Landon, 10, and Hudson, 9 — have made a lot of sacrifices over the years as he’s played for six NHL teams.
“I never take that lightly,” he said. “The moment I feel like it’s taking away from my family is the moment I stop playing, regardless of how I feel.”
It came down to a family meeting in their Sudbury home in late June. The boys were curious if Dad would be able to make some of their hockey tournaments (they were together in Minnesota last week for a father-son camp). But what Milana said really hit home. Born with congenital heart disease, she has been through several surgeries and is as tough as they come.
Hearing that Dad was thinking of signing for another year, Milana turned to him and said, “I think you have more to give. I want to see you play more.”
It was always most likely going to be Minnesota for Foligno, but there were other teams — with GMs he has a lot of respect for — so he at least entertained those conversations. But they didn’t get far.
“I am wholeheartedly invested into the Minnesota Wild now,” Nick said. “With my brother having played there and tasted the fan base and experience, it would have been hard for me to go anywhere else, knowing that in the back of my mind I would have always had an eye on the Minnesota Wild. It just felt right. … So, in a roundabout way, it was probably Minnesota or nowhere.”
Foligno showed he still had plenty of game left, including scoring twice in Game 6 against Colorado in the second round. He can play wing or center and kill penalties and will likely slot on either the third or fourth line, with brother Marcus on the other wing.
“I was really rejuvenated by playing meaningful hockey,” Nick Foligno said. “I loved my time in Chicago. I absolutely appreciated Kyle Davidson and the organization and players I got to work with. I had relationships that will last forever. But I really was rejuvenated by the fact of playing into March and April, knowing it meant something. That’s my kind of hockey. When the stakes are the highest, you understand who you are and don’t get too overwhelmed by the moment. It came back like an old hat or old pair of shoes. That’s why I play.”
Foligno is excited about the roster that’s coming back for the Wild, even though there have been some changes, with some key names leaving the dressing room. Mats Zuccarello was allowed to walk in free agency and sign with the Los Angeles Kings, Vladimir Tarasenko is still a free agent and Marcus Johansson signed in Sweden. Jake Middleton was traded to the Calgary Flames. In came Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta, two Cup champs.
Foligno said he can step up in the leadership department to fill voids if needed and acknowledged that change can be good.
“It’s always tough — two room favorites, Zuccy and Midsy, absolutely loved by their teammates,” Foligno said. “The hockey side and the personal side and teammate side — you really care about those guys and the influence they had on the room. That always hurts.
“But I think sometimes you need to do addition by subtraction. I’ve been on a lot of teams where sometimes new blood or changing up things does help spark some people and make them realize it’s still a business and we haven’t gotten to where we want to get to. As much as you always want to run it back with the same group, when you don’t win, sometimes changes have to be made. So I think it’s a good wake-up call for everybody. Even fan favorites to teammates, who are loved by many, but we’re trying to figure out a way to win the Cup.”
Foligno believes the changes will give remaining players an opportunity to “realize there’s more to give.”
“Certain guys, especially, and that’s a really good thing,” he said. “It sucks to lose those guys, but I think it’ll push some players to give more and expect more from themselves, and that’ll be great.”
One guy the Wild players aren’t worried about, Foligno said, is Quinn Hughes. Foligno joked that he’s happy for Hughes in how he’s living it up, including attending the World Cup final in a suite with brothers Jack and Luke, as well as actress Jessica Alba.
Just the Hughes brothers hanging out with Jessica Alba at the @FIFAWorldCup! 🤩
(📸: @jessicaalba) pic.twitter.com/JRak3EHjK5
— NHL (@NHL) July 22, 2026
The Foligno brothers “forgot” to pick up Hughes at the end of the Wild schedule release video, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sign for the superstar defenseman’s future here. Teammates are confident Hughes, one year from free agency, will stay.
“Maybe it’s stupid to say, but on a team like this, we’re just super confident in who we are. It seems like a no-brainer to join,” Foligno said. “I don’t think there’s an insecurity, like, ‘Oh, we need Quinn.’ It’s like, ‘Man, why would you leave here? We’re a great team.’ That’s where the confidence comes from. That’s what guys appreciate. I don’t think anyone is too concerned about what’s going to happen. I think it’s just a matter of time.
“It’s a big reason why I stayed. Where else are you going to go to have an opportunity to have a great team? I know he’ll have his personal things, but he knows at the end of the day how great this team is and how much he loves this group. I don’t think any guy is really concerned about it.”
And what about the opportunity to play with Jack and Luke, who are both with the Devils? In a year, Quinn could sign with any team if he doesn’t get an extension done with Minnesota. Foligno hopes his experience with Marcus, getting together at the end of his career on a contending team, can provide some guidance.
“If anything, maybe Marcus and I’s story helps him understand,” Foligno said. “That part always takes care of itself. There has to be a timing element of it, too. I’ve seen a lot of brothers play together, and the teams are not very good and it turns into a little bit of a bad situation. You want to team up when it’s a good situation and it matters. Hopefully he understands that and realizes this is a great team right now and has a window to win and he can see that through.
“You’re still so young. You can look into your brother at any point. They’re both great players. They can decide to play (together) at any moment. Why not see it through with what you have right now?”
It took Foligno two decades into his NHL career to play with Marcus, and it’s been a dream come true. This will be Nick’s first full season with Marcus and the Wild, and he didn’t want to commit either way as to whether this is the final year of his career.
He’s not interested in a farewell tour.
“I don’t want to say yes or no,” Foligno said. “I feel like it sucks when you say it and things change. I’m going into the season like it’s my last and see where it goes. If that’s the best answer, I don’t want to turn it into a swan song. Even last year, some guys were assuming it was. I’m just going to play hockey this year and see where it goes.
“Full well knowing I’m not stupid — 20 years in the league and where we are. It’s a great opportunity for me on a great team to help push us over the top.”