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Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno had some strong words Wednesday about how the NHL's return-to-play plan needs to consider players' families.
"If somebody's gonna tell me I can't see my family, there's going to be a fight at some point," Foligno said, per Blue Jackets public relations.
Foligno was answering a question about the difficulties his teammates with families in Columbus might face under quarantine if the city was chosen as one of the NHL's hubs. Foligno said he'd personally be leaving his family in Sudbury, Ontario, "until it's safe to have them return," but added that he's confident the league would figure out an adequate system for other families.
"I would assume there would be a visitation thing or something ... that they could be screened and tested as well," Foligno said. "That would have to be in play for the host cities that have families there. That's just human."
Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Tuesday that the NHL plans to stage a 24-team playoff split between two hub cities. However, there are still plenty of logistics to sort out, such as timelines, specific locations, COVID-19 testing, and the self-isolation limitations for players, staff, and their families.
While Foligno shared his concern, he also stated he's ready to play under the proper parameters.
"There's a bigger thing going on in the world than hockey," Foligno said. "But if we have a chance to be able to play the game, then we owe it to our fans, to ourselves."
The Blue Jackets qualified for the play-in tournament as the Eastern Conference's ninth seed and are slated for a best-of-five clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Foligno, 32, posted 31 points in 67 games this past season. He's captained the club since 2015-16.
