RAPID FIRE

with Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno

Why do you wear No. 71?

It was given to me when I first got to camp with the Ottawa Senators. The trainers thought it would be funny, because that’s what number my dad (Mike Foligno) wore. I don’t think they realized I was just was just happy to be there, so I didn’t care what number I was going to wear.

Whom do you model your game after?

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to model my game after him, but Peter Forsberg. Besides my dad, he was my idol growing up. He was a guy I was lucky enough to get to know a little bit when my dad was coaching in Colorado, too. He was an outstanding player in terms of how physically he played the game and how good he was, too. He was someone I looked up to big-time.

Your “welcome to the NHL” moment?

Andy Sutton, big, hulking defenseman, hit me when I cut across the middle, and my stick ended up going about four feet into the rafters, and I went about four feet the other way. I was like, “This better be that last time I get hit like that.”

What’s your strangest fan interaction?

I do this thing with Sergei Bobrovsky where we hug at the end of games. It’s turned into a pretty big thing in Columbus. And I just find it weird when grown men ask me to hug them like Bob. It makes for an awkward conversation when they’re like, “Can you just give me the Bobrovsky hug?” and I’m like, “Dude, that’s really weird. Why would you want that?” That one always bugs me a little bit, but it’s great that they love the hugs so much. It makes it pretty comical.