Connor Bedard fires brutal parting shot at Nick Foligno after Deadline trade

The NHL Trade Deadline produced plenty of surprises Friday, but one of the most unexpected involved the Chicago Blackhawks sending their captain Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild.

The Wild acquired Foligno for nothing more than future considerations, essentially allowing Chicago’s veteran leader a chance to chase the Stanley Cup before his career winds down.

Sources indicate the Blackhawks were doing the respected veteran a major favor. With Chicago already using all of its salary retention slots, the team simply moved Foligno outright to a contender rather than trying to squeeze value out of the deal.

The Blackhawks will see their former captain again very soon, with a home-and-home series against Minnesota scheduled for March 17 and 19. That matchup might come with a little extra spice thanks to comments from star forward Connor Bedard.

Bedard joked about seeing his former captain in different colours.

“I think he’s going to look a little ugly in those jerseys.”

But the young star didn’t stop there.

“He better keep his head up out there for the boys.”

While the tone was clearly playful, the comments still turned heads, especially considering Foligno had served as a mentor figure to Bedard during the rookie’s early NHL seasons.

With Foligno gone, leadership responsibilities in Chicago are already shifting. The Blackhawks announced that Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi will take over as alternate captains moving forward.

The organization also shared an emotional tribute video thanking Foligno for his leadership, posting the message:

“Oh captain, our captain. Thank you for leading the way for three seasons and for all you’ve given to Chicago and our organization.”

Despite the jokes, the move shows just how much respect the Blackhawks have for their former captain. By trading him for essentially nothing, Chicago gave Foligno a legitimate opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup, and perhaps even do it alongside his brother Marcus Foligno in Minnesota.