The closest Nick Foligno came to getting in touch with his former life Friday night was the bear hug he applied to Sergei Bobrovsky at the end of the Blue Jackets’ 5-0 season-opening win against the Islanders.
The sellout crowd stood and cheered. The captain waited at the back of the goaltender's joyous receiving line before wrapping his arms around Bobrovsky — a sight so familiar to fans last season, the best in franchise history.
Everything that transpired before that moment, however, had a different feel for the selfless captain. Different position. Different linemates. Different responsibilities. It all had been building to this night since July when Foligno answered his cell phone and heard John Tortorella instruct him: “To be ready.
Reed: Selfless Nick Foligno steps out of comfort zone, allowing others to thrive
