The NHL regular season is coming to a close with less than a week to go, as the season will officially end on Thurs. Apr 16. The NHL awards will be given out after the Stanley Cup is won, and recently, they announced the nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. It’s given to the player who has had an impact on their community as well as being a leader on and off the ice.
It should come as no surprise that the Minnesota Wild’s nominee for the award is none other than Marcus Foligno. He’s a fan favorite and has done a lot to help not only his local community but many throughout the country, thanks to the Janis Foligno Foundation that he started with his family. In this article, we’ll look at how Foligno has been a leader on and off the ice, as well as his humanitarian efforts, and why he deserves this award.
Foligno Leads No Matter Where He Is
Some players just have a natural leadership quality in their personality that’s hard to miss, and Marcus Foligno is one of those players. He’s been an alternate captain for the Wild since Jared Spurgeon was named captain at the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. It just made sense with his ability to lead, whether he had a letter on his jersey or not.
For those who’ve watched Foligno throughout his career with the Wild, it’s very clear he’s not afraid to let his voice be heard. While Spurgeon and Kirill Kaprizov aren’t typically very vocal, Foligno rounds out the trio by using his voice. He’s clearly a leader on the ice, but he’s also that way away from the rink.
Many see a leader as the person who stands out when things are hard, and while that’s true, what about when things are going well? That’s the type of player Foligno is; he shines in the bad and the good. He’s the first to admit when things need to be changed, but he’s also ready to dish out the compliments when they are earned. Away from the rink, he’s one of the faces of the franchise and seems to always be willing to jump into a social media video or take a fan shopping, which was showcased on the Wild’s website earlier this season.
As of now, Foligno has made his home in Minnesota, but his heart also belongs to Buffalo, New York, where he’s from, and Sudbury, Ontario, where his parents are from. He’s made an impact in each community he’s been a part of, and that goes for Minnesota as well. He’s been a part of many Wild events like the Wild Foundation Gala, Off the Tee, Whiskey & Wine night, and other various nights that the Wild hosts.
Apart from doing team events, in honor of his mom, Foligno also donates to Meals on Wheels and promotes cancer research as much as possible, whether it was through the Foligno Faceoff or ideas he and his brother, Nick, came up with to raise money. It’s difficult to lose a parent, like the Folignos who lost their mother, especially one you’ve been close to, in a recent video posted by the Foligno sisters about their brothers, and they said Marcus was definitely a “momma’s boy”.
After going through that, it can be difficult to have to tell their story over and over again when asked, but Marcus hasn’t shied away. He’s always been willing to tell her story and do what he can to help raise money for cancer research, even if it’s painful to talk about.
Wild’s Foligno Earned Award
Some people do charity work and other things to get a good reputation and things like that, but not Foligno. While he does do a lot of charity work, it appears to all come from the good of his heart, and that he wants to help people rather than build up his reputation. That is probably more true than most realize, but it’s easy to see with Foligno.
The way he lights up when talking about his mom or the things he’s doing to honor her memory and help others is exactly what this award is for. He does what he can to help his community, and he does it with a smile on his face.
Related: Wild’s Marcus Foligno Fondly Remembers His Mom And Opens Up About Grief
Foligno is an exceptional captain and leader both on and off the ice, and it’s surprising he hasn’t won this award in the past for how much he does in the community and the type of leader he is. Once again, there are a lot of worthy nominees as there are every year, but it would be great to see Foligno win and be able to help the community even more with a check from the NHL that goes to a charity of his choice.
