Current Minnesota Wild forward Nick Foligno started his NHL career in Ottawa — the capital of hockey-crazy Canada — where seemingly everyone you meet owns skates and has an opinion on how the local team could do things differently.
After being traded to an American team, Foligno joked that for the first time as a pro hockey player, he could go to the grocery store without a dozen people commenting on changes that should be made to his team’s power play.
New Wild forward Blake Coleman, who came to Minnesota via a trade after spending the past five seasons in Calgary, can relate. Even in the hockey-crazy Twin Cities, where the Coleman clan relocated late in the summer, there’s a bit more anonymity. At least until the season started, and Coleman scored in the Wild’s first game.
“In Calgary definitely you couldn’t go anywhere without getting recognized,” Coleman said following the team’s Monday morning skate at TRIA Rink. “Here it’s pretty light. I will say though, since playing the games, I’m starting to get some stuff around town. It’s just a reflection of how appreciated hockey is here and the passionate fan base.”
Coleman, 34, joined the Wild and has certainly needed no break-in period, with nearly 700 NHL games on his resume as well as four years of high-end college hockey at Miami of Ohio. Originally from the Dallas suburbs, he was an instant fit with the Wild, starting the season as a winger on the team’s top line, and showing his willingness and ability to play anywhere he is called upon.
“Coming in, that was kind of the expectation,” Wild coach John Hynes said, noting the Stanley Cup rings Coleman owns from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. “He has played on a couple different teams. I think also having the winning experience he knows. He’s a pretty intelligent guy, and I think he has played in different roles and for different systems.”
Through it all, he has been a hard-nosed player with some skill who goes to the net effectively, reflected in his two goals and an assist in Coleman’s first five games with Minnesota.
“The thing about him is he doesn’t change the way he plays regardless of who he plays for or who he plays with,” Hynes said. “He’s pretty consistent in what he does.”
Briefly
Defenseman Zach Bogosian returned to practice and was expected in the lineup on Monday versus Vegas after he missed the Wild’s 4-1 win in Florida on Saturday night.
Minnesota remains without both Foligno brothers at present, with Nick missing three games with an upper body injury, and Marcus out for the last two with what Hynes called a “mid” body injury.
“Marcus has got an appointment, so I’m waiting to hear back on that. I would classify him as day-to-day right now,” Hynes said following morning skate on Monday. “Nick is a little bit longer than that, but not like a long-term deal.”
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