During hockey season the NHL may seem like the biggest thing in the world for some fans and players, but the truth is some things are bigger than the game. You’ll see players step away to be there for a birth of their child, for example, but sometimes it isn’t quite so happy.
Nick Foligno’s daughter Milana is scheduled to undergo surgery, and while it is not at the most convenient time for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ captain, the decision was already made. He will be stepping away from the team to focus on family for the time being.
According to Jackets’ reporter Aaron Portzline, the announcement of this led to a very emotional moment for Foligno and his teammates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">An emotional scene at the end of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBJ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBJ</a> practice today when Nick Foligno addressed teammates, told them he was stepping away from the team for Milana’s surgery. When he finished speaking, players tapped the ice with their sticks, then engulfed Foligno in a massive 25-person hug.</p>— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) <a href="https://twitter.com/Aportzline/status/1079438494064410625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sure, hockey players are thrown together by whatever management has placed them there, but a professional hockey team is a brotherhood. When Foligno knew he had to leave the team for a bit, they were right there with him in making that decision.
It is not clear what exactly the surgery is, but we do know that Milana was born with a heart defect that was surgically fixed shortly after her birth. We also know that she was hospitalized with a virus earlier in the season. It is not confirmed whether either of these health issues are contributing to the need for surgery now.
(H/T Aaron Portzline)
