Column: In Nick Foligno, the Chicago Blackhawks have someone who’ll fight for the team’s future — literally

Nick Foligno admitted it. He knew the exact moment the ring finger on his left hand snapped while trading punches with New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith.

“That’s why I was doing the open-hand punches at the end,” the Chicago Blackhawks forward said, laughing.

It didn’t matter, though. He had a message to send. Smith slammed into Connor Bedard and caused the future of the franchise to suffer a broken jaw. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery this week.

“You can argue it’s a clean hit,” Foligno said just before his face struck a “So what?” expression. “It’s our best player.

“No ill-will towards Smith, he’s doing his job for his team, but we’re going to do the job for ours as well and back up our own, especially a young kid who’s finding his way in the league and our star player, you’ve got to make sure he knows he feels protected and looked after and that’s all that is.”

In the greater scheme of things, Foligno’s fight on behalf of Bedard will be just one small example of many hockey moments for the Hawks in the coming years.

But that’s what Foligno signed on to be: an example.

The Hawks signed him to a two-year, $9 million contract Friday, not long after the Jan. 1 eligibility for a one-year player to sign an extension.

General manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement: “His leadership skills both on and off the ice have been instrumental in what we are building, and we are excited for him (to) continue to push our team forward.”

Foligno said “it’s thrilling for my family” and expressed appreciation to the organization for committing to “what I bring and what we’re trying to do here.

“And that’s the biggest thing when I signed (a one-year deal), even in the summer, in trying to turn this into a team that’s respected and understands what it means to play Chicago Blackhawk hockey,” he said. “Now I really get to put some roots down and dig in here and put that investment into it.”

Said coach Luke Richardson: “It’s great. It’s good timing. It gives the player peace of mind and the organization as well. He’s that ultimate leader … on and off the ice, he’s a great example, but he also likes to keep it light.

“He’s a great personality, so with a lot of young players coming in, it’ll be their first time in pro hockey. It’s like Connor and (Kevin) Korchinski this year, and there’ll be some more to come, (and) it’s a great person to surround them with.”

Foligno will turn 37 early next season. But it doesn’t matter how old a player is or how much he has left in the tank. Most don’t see themselves as a babysitter for future stars of the league.

Foligno doesn’t see himself in that way. He sees it as him and the young guys breaking down generational barriers.

Over a half-season, “what you start to see is just how comfortable they are to come up to you,” he said. “At first, everyone’s trying to feel each other out at the start of the year. Now they come up and crack a joke or initiate the conversation and that goes a long way in showing that there’s a relationship being built, and it’s not just one way. …

“They’re starting to really invest in what you’re investing in in them as well. We’re very lucky. We’ve got a lot of really good young guys, a lot of good pieces in there that care, and that’s always the hardest part to find, right? ….

“But there’s a lot of guys that really want to be better than they are now and want to help improve this team and want to get it to a team that was the gold standard in the league for a long time here. … It’s going to be hopefully a lot of fun for a few years.”

The Hawks are 12-29-2 after their 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday at the United Center. They have the second-worst record in the league. That doesn’t portend “fun” in the coming years.

But you could accuse Foligno of being the eternal optimist, and he probably would cop to it.

“My biggest thing is, who’s to say you can’t win anywhere?” he said. “I’ve been on teams that were supposed to (win) it last year and we didn’t. And I’ve been on teams that no one expects anything and you go on a little bit of a run. So I have a hard time with that one.

“And I get it, trust me. I understand the position certain teams are in. But I just never really ever have played in my career that way. When the odds are stacked against you I think that’s when you dig in the most, right?

“So if we’re really trying to build what we’re trying to build in that room, then that has to get thrown out the window anyway,” he said.

Foligno, who has eight goals and nine assists, also believes he has some juice left. So it was a hard pill to swallow on June 26, when the Boston Bruins traded him and fellow veteran Taylor Hall to the Hawks for prospects Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula and $6 million in cap space.

Last year’s record-setting Bruins were a disappointing first-round playoff exit, and Foligno hoped to run it back with them, but that was not to be. He was dispatched to a team that’s a rebuild of a rebuild.

Foligno has warmed to the idea that he’s in the right place at the right time. And in the right role.

“That’s where I’ve seen in my career, there’s roles you need to play on certain teams, right? And you have to be accepting of that role,” he said. “When I went to Boston, they had a good thing going. I was trying to fit in. ‘Hey, we’re going to try and win this thing.’ You’re happy to help in that regard.”

If it was on the fourth line, Foligno played the fourth line.

“That’s where I’m needed, so you play there,” he said. “Yeah, there’s maybe more you feel you can give, but that’s the sacrifice and the commitment you make to that group.”

That’s the example he’s trying to help pass on to the Hawks.

“That’s the mindset here,” he said. “What roles are guys going to fall into? What is it that you’re going to do to help the Chicago Blackhawks become an elite team?

“Not every guy is going to play 20 minutes a night. … If you’re a 10-minute guy, what is that 10 minutes going to do for our club? If you’re a 15-minute guy, what’s that going to do? … For me, I’ve seen and played in a lot of different roles and appreciate what those mean. Wherever you’re needed, you slot in.

“If you have that from your veteran guys or your leaders, it trickles on down the lineup.”

For now, Foligno is still week-to-week with his broken finger, so he won’t be slotting in anywhere just yet. That’s not for lack of trying.

Richardson joked earlier this week that he’s not sure Foligno can tie his own skates.

Foligno shot back Saturday: “The skates are a little tough, but I’m still trying to play tonight.”