{"id":522571,"date":"2026-03-14T05:19:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T05:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/522571\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T05:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T05:19:10","slug":"how-the-blackhawks-leadership-and-vibe-has-changed-without-nick-foligno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/522571\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Blackhawks’ leadership and vibe has changed without Nick Foligno"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS \u2014 After one of Nick Foligno\u2019s last practices with the Blackhawks<\/a>, he pointed at an iPhone.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of these,\u201d Foligno said while gesturing, \u201cthere\u2019s not a lot of talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the Hawks had just spent much of the practice working on communication between forwards and defensemen on breakouts. Twenty years ago, that skill might have come to players more instinctively.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou used to meet at a coffee shop or bar, and everyone would be sitting and talking,\u201d Foligno said. \u201cNow you\u2019re sitting on your phone. There\u2019s a little bit of disconnect in the generation coming up.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t mean [communication] can\u2019t be taught. It doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not a big part of the game. The teams that do it are the ones that are pretty successful. It\u2019s [about having] an understanding and an unselfishness to [think], \u2018OK, I\u2019ve got to push myself in that direction.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

One week since Foligno, the world\u2019s most loquacious man, was traded<\/a> \u2014 along with fellow veterans Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson and outspoken, mischievous youngster Colton Dach \u2014 the new vibe of the Hawks\u2019 locker room is still being sorted out.<\/p>\n

\u201c \u2018Fliggy\u2019 is very talkative, and once you don\u2019t have that, it\u2019s a stark contrast,\u201d Matt Grzelcyk said. \u201cIt\u2019s not that everyone has to be talking every minute, but you [need to] pick up the slack a little bit here and there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Said Frank Nazar: \u201c[I\u2019m not] trying to think of the things that he says and say them. [I\u2019m going to] just stick to saying what I say and being me, and other guys are going to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grzelcyk, 32, is actually now the Hawks\u2019 oldest player, and his teammates have been playfully teasing him about it.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s fairly quiet and private, though. He said he tries to \u201clead by example\u201d \u2014 surely one of the most common refrains spoken across the league \u2014 but he\u2019s an unlikely candidate to step into Foligno\u2019s or even Murphy\u2019s shoes leadership-wise.<\/p>\n

If anyone, the Hawks\u2019 new rallier of men might be Tyler Bertuzzi.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s an unconventional alternate captain, considering how much he dislikes interviews and other public-facing appearances. But he apparently showcases a different side of his personality when alone with his teammates, and coach Jeff Blashill unabashedly loves him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a boisterous guy,\u201d Blashill said. \u201cYou can hear his laugh from a mile away. He\u2019s a fun guy that way, and he won\u2019t change that, but he also isn\u2019t afraid to say when he thinks guys need to do things better, including himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing, when you get things like a letter put on you, is that you don\u2019t change who you are at all. Certainly, I didn\u2019t have to worry about that with him. One thing I know is Tyler is going to be Tyler. And good for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the ice, however, there\u2019s no doubt the Hawks\u2019 emotional leader is Connor Bedard. His off-the-charts competitiveness shined Thursday in Utah<\/a>, and he always seems to perform best when he\u2019s in that kind of fiery, venomous mood.<\/p>\n

Is Bedard chatty like Foligno? Absolutely not. Is he, like most Gen Z kids, addicted to his phone? Probably.<\/p>\n

But having matured significantly on and off the ice over the last three years, the 20-year-old seems qualified for the captaincy and prepared to push the Hawks forward in his own unique way. Asked last week if he intended to step up as a leader in the wake of Foligno\u2019s departure while staying true to his genuine self, Bedard had the perfect response ready: \u201cI think my genuine self is a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hawks are also confident that more young leaders will emerge within their group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen others are leading, guys are -going to follow suit,\u201d Blashill said. \u201cThen when those guys aren\u2019t there anymore, people step up into those leadership roles more easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Ottawa<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hawks will face Tim Stutzle\u2019s Senators on Dec. 18-20. It will be their first European trip since fall 2019.<\/p>\n

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read<\/p>\n

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\"Blackhawks<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Nazar\u2019s latest multipoint game Thursday extended his streak to eight points in five games, then Connor Bedard scored in overtime to seal the Hawks\u2019 3-2 win.<\/p>\n

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read<\/p>\n

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\"Andrew<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Mangiapane provides some traits that not many other (current) Hawks forwards possess, including a nose for the net and a scrappy personality that can draw others into the fight.<\/p>\n

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