Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno. (The Associated Press)
Spotlight on … Nick Foligno, left wing, Blue Jackets
When: All-Star Game fantasy draft Friday, 6 p.m., at Columbus.
What’s up: Foligno, as the representative of the host team, will serve as one of the team captains for next Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game, along with Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. The division of the players on Team Toews and Team Foligno will be determined by the Friday night draft involving the captains. Foligno’s assistant captains are Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks and Drew Doughty of the Kings, while Toews’ assistants are Rick Nash of the Rangers and Ryan Getzlaf of the Ducks.
Background: Going into Saturday’s game against the Bruins, Foligno already had equaled his career high for goals in a season, with 18. He lived in the Denver area for a year when he was 10, when his father, Mike, was an Avalanche assistant coach. He’s active in many charitable causes, including with the Janis Foligno Foundation, which honors his mother, Janis, who died of breast cancer in 2009.
Frei’s take: Foligno is a worthy captain, and not just because the game is in Columbus.
