Foligno Face-Off will help Marcus of Wild, Nick of Blackhawks fight cancer to honor mom

CHICAGO – For brothers Nick Foligno and Marcus Foligno, memories of their mother, Janis, are never far away.

Nick, the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Marcus, a forward for the Minnesota Wild, lost their mom to breast cancer in 2009. In her honor, they are squaring off to raise funds for breast cancer research.

Last week they announced the Foligno Face-Off, teaming up with the Blackhawks, Wild, NHL, NHL Players Association, and V Foundation for Cancer Research through Hockey Fights Cancer for a season-long platform to raise funds for a very personal cause and celebrate the competitiveness between Marcus and Nick.

“It’s really special,” Nick said. “Obviously, it’s something that’s near and dear to us with our mother and losing her to breast cancer. But the fight continues and that’s something Marcus and I have always said we would do in her honor is to continue to fight and continue to find ways to make it a better outcome for somebody else. I think she’d be proud of that.”

Unfortunately, Nick will miss the first of his face-offs with Marcus when the Blackhawks host the Wild at United Center on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+). He’s on injured reserve with a hand injury sustained in a 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 15. He was expected to miss approximately four weeks from that date.

The public is being asked to join the Foligno Face-off by donating $17 (they each wear No. 17), or whatever they can give, to breast cancer research through Hockey Fights Cancer and the V Foundation. Donations can be made here and 100 percent of funds will go to breast cancer research through the V Foundation in honor of Janis and all those affected by breast cancer.

The brothers, who are NHL Hockey Fights Cancer Champions this season, are scheduled to face each other more three times season (Jan. 27, March 17 and March 19), and when they do, the campaign will channel their natural rivalry into a friendly competition that engages fans, drives awareness, and turns every head-to-head matchup into an opportunity to give back.

Each time, donors will pick between Team Nick or Team Marcus, and each donor will be entered to win a one-of-a-kind Hockey Fights Cancer jersey signed by both brothers, plus a signed puck from their team’s Foligno.

“I’m really proud to be in an organization, in a League that understands the importance of something like that, how unfortunate it is that it touches so many peoples’ lives. So many forms of cancer,” Nick said. “We have our own in Troy Murray (Blackhawks radio color analyst) who’s battling and so many others. It’s sad that we can’t talk to anyone who doesn’t know someone infected.

“I think that’s what I’m so proud of that we have the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative that makes you feel that there’s some way you can give back and you’re proud. That our league steps up and champions that and to be part of that is really gratifying. When you know you’re making a difference, whether it’s a kind word to somebody going through it or helping raise money for research, it makes you feel you are making a difference. I think every guy in this league feels that way.”

There will be a fun side to the cause.

Marcus said there will be “consequences” for whichever brother loses that particular matchup.

“It’s one of those things that yeah, we’ve been kind of spit-balling some things about what we could do and it’s not fun. Anything to do with possibly wearing my brother’s face on my shirt or something like that, I do not want to do,” Marcus said with a laugh. “It’s all for good fun and interaction but hopefully I’m on the winning end of this challenge.”

The brothers don’t see each other often during hockey season but thoughts of Janis are always with them.

“I don’t go a day without thinking about her and you really put yourself in (thinking), ‘What would your mom do in this situation?’ You still reflect on the type of person she was and her morals,” Marcus said. “When Nick and I play the game, we play it with her in our hearts. She was a special lady and definitely someone that, now both of us have kids, we just try to teach our kids the way she taught us and pass down her teachings and her love.

“That’s the biggest thing: you don’t forget about a woman like that, and you just try to do good by her and for her.”

Top photo: Marcus (l.) and Nick Foligno face off during the Chicago Blackhawks’ Hockey Fights Cancer night in 2025.