#85. Marcus Foligno: the Moose is Loose (again)

Alexis, president of the Foligno Fan Club, moves mountains and waitressing schedules to not miss out on a second guest appearance from Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno as he chats summer lake life, offseason transactions and bugging big brother Nick to sign with the Wild.

Did you really think I would

choose a waitressing shift over

check-in with Marcus Foligno?

The Moose is loose as Jessi and

I talked summer leadership and the

Foligno fan club with number 17.

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hi everybody.

We're back episode 85.

I'm Jesse Pierce.

This is Alexis Pearson, and we've

also got Fred Veinfurt our producer,

Fred, as we like to call him.

He's not fired this week, guys,

this week emphasis on this week,

put the asterisks around it because

we do this on a week to week basis.

So welcome back, Fred.

We missed you, but don't, you know,

don't get too comfortable because

who knows what next week will hold.

I didn't miss you so well,

what would we expect?

Really?

Let's not lie to our, our audience now.

Okay.

Let's, let's be honest.

Let's be truthful as always another

great episode, uh, queued up.

Almost fired, maybe fired

from her waitressing job.

We're not quite sure yet almost fired from

two things in one time that would have

been, that would have been a heck of a

day for me, that a lot of fun conversation

with Marcus Foligno, uh, coming up.

This is the second time around

for those of you that missed it.

Go back.

Listen to the first episode

with Marcus, it was a true gem.

Also a true gem.

Uh, but we've got wildness

to talk about too.

Should we dive into that?

Uh, Kevin Fiala, the Minnesota wild

has decided to take him to arbitration.

That date has been set for August 17th.

Um, the wild end Kevin Fiala camp can

still negotiate between now and then they

can still come to terms on a contract.

This just ultimately means

that the Minnesota wild want

to have a decisive decision and

that will be made on the 17th.

Two groups can not come together on an

agreement for contract terms, right?

And money.

Um, Alexis, do you see

this as like a problem?

Like, is it concerning or I know you and I

talked about arbitration a little bit and

it's kind of wonky the way it works out.

And right now it doesn't, you know, it's

not, Fiala taking the wild to arbitration,

which is a good sign because it's means

that there must not be too far off because

usually if a player takes a team that

way, no, you guys are screwing me over.

So it's a little bit better,

but what are your thoughts?

Yeah.

I mean, our arbitration always

sounds like a scary thing

when it, when it's brought up.

Um, but at the end of the day,

it can actually be pretty useful.

Um, like you said, Jessi,

it's not the end of the world.

That doesn't mean that there's

necessarily a rift going on, but just

a different way to come to a solution.

Um, and this is what they chose for.

Um, Kevin Fiala, I w I do want to

say though that the funniest thing

about this was the day that this

came out, we were so tweeted like

that they were going to arbitration

with Fiala and somebody commented.

Sweet.

They're like, what does that mean?

And a minute later, someone

responded to that tweet.

They're like, literally read the tweet

and I don't know why that would be the

funniest thing about all of this to me.

Um, but yeah, I it's nice because

it gives you an end, right?

Like this is like, okay, it's

going to be decided by that.

And so that's a relieving feeling to know

that it could happen sooner, but at the

very least it'll happen by this date.

Um, and I think it's a good date to set.

It gives the wild, you know, time

still before the season starts

to get more things organized.

So, um, I'm not worried about it.

I'm not stressed about it.

It almost is more relieving than anything.

Cause I'm like, okay, good.

We have a solution upcoming

here in the next few weeks.

That's that's a sigh of

relief in my opinion.

I mean, the other thing that

they have to deal with this off

season is hashtag Kaprizov.

Watch Fred, if you add like a cool

news, like Kaprizov watch, um, because

obviously once they can deal with once

Kevin Fiala is taken care of them, they

can turn their focus to Kirill Kaprizov.

And his camp still haven't

come to an agreement.

Yeah.

Nothing new to report.

We caught up with Dean Evason earlier last

week and, and he obviously didn't tip his

hand as, I don't know, it's negotiations.

They're ongoing.

Um, again, we, we talked a little bit

about Kirill Kaprizov will not go to

the KHL likely we were out with them.

Sponsor Tony Hoagland and some

of his friends earlier this week.

And we got asked that question a lot.

He will probably not go to the KHL.

He will be here.

It's just going to be a little

bit longer until he's here.

But, so that's the good thing

about the Kevin Fiala arbitration

date getting set right.

Yeah.

And also what's making me relieved

about the croaker precept situation

is, I don't know if you saw this

Jessi and Fred, but somebody commented

on, on one of our YouTube videos.

I was literally about to say

that I was going to read it.

Yeah.

Fred can read it, but basically a

Russian commented saying have no fear.

There's no talk of this

happening in Russia.

You guys are worried for no reason.

Fred read, the full cause

it literally made on us.

Fred.

Welcome.

Garrick is what his YouTube handle is.

And by the way, his profile

picture is a cat wizard.

So I felt like that was to impress ladies.

I would address all questions who is

agent Kirill is a modest and honest guy.

He does not play a double game.

I think he trusts his agent.

There is no need to blame

curl for everything.

It's a kind honest.

I'm sure everything will be fine.

PS, no one in Russia believes that

he will return to the cage out.

The Russians have spoken.

Russia says I love it.

And I agree.

I mean, I think it's pretty easy

to see having seen how humble

Kirill is and how much he just

wants to play hockey at this point.

You know, I do see it.

It's the agent that's forcing this whole

kind of not turmoil, but making the

wild fans wait, which I do find funny.

Remember how long.

Minnesota waited for Kirill to come here.

And now it's another summer of

like, please, please come back.

Are we going to come back for it?

It's just finds it very,

we've been here before.

It's full circle.

It's full circle.

Yeah.

I mean, at this point it's

kind of become a bit, right.

I think we can admit that, but like us

being worried about it, it's like, are

we actually worried or are we not like a

little bit of us I think is, cause that's

just natural for Minnesota sports people.

Um, and like you said, Jesse, we

obviously already went through

something very similar with him.

To begin with.

Um, but yeah, for me, that

closed the door on it.

Um, Garrick on YouTube says to not

worry, so I'm not going to worry

because Russia has spoken so well.

Derek did say Alexis, I heard

that you hate the yellow

color that you were wearing.

So he said he, he wanted to make sure

you knew that you looked awesome.

Uh, I would agree.

I am not going to wear a

yellow a cat wearing a wizard hat.

Sure.

What, what more do we need?

I mean, this is real reporting right here.

We need Russians in the YouTube

comments and we only report the facts.

So Alexis, you wear yellow.

I will always wear my Russian

looking shirt or wear no makeup.

I feel like those two are very polarized.

Somebody said that I sh

I should wear makeup.

One of the Russians said

that that hurt my feelings.

This is all in fun, just too, by the

way, we think you guys are awesome.

We think all of our audience is awesome.

We also think our sponsors are awesome.

Like a bettoredge.

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It's, it's a lot of fun.

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again, which is my favorite thing.

It's all about that competitive drive.

We'll probably do a beat the Beauts

once again, where I have succeeded.

I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry.

So that's it better edge.com B E T T R.

Dotcom somebody beat Jesse, please.

I was just gonna say, I can't believe

the most competitive person among the

three of us has to do this ad read.

Like, of course it's Jessi who

refuses to lose and who somehow

always you have to pick the winners.

They were like, it must be, it

was kismet, but, uh, that's it.

Should we get to Marcus?

I don't have any other.

News of notes, but why

waste any more time?

Why waste more time?

We gave you a full dose of

Alexis and Jessie last week.

So we'll shut our mouths and, uh, let

Marcus do a little bit of talking too.

So we're going to take a quick break.

We'll be right back, be the off

season, but that doesn't mean you can't

still shop part on beauties apparel.

Get yourself a tank to add to your

summer wardrobe or Bardown beauty

sticker to slap on your water bottle.

To stay hydrated in the summer

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We're back joining us now.

Everyone's absolute favorite.

Foligno sorry, Nick.

Uh, the moose is loose.

Marcus, Marcus.

What's up?

How are you?

Thanks for having me on guys.

Uh, not much just to join summer and, uh,

it's just been, uh, relaxing and getting

ready for next season, but just trying

to take in a lot of family time that.

Uh, we've obviously missed out

on because of the pandemic.

So I live up here in Sudbury, Ontario

next to right next door to my brother.

Right next door.

The one on the other side

of my brothers, my dad.

So it's, it's been awesome to see,

uh, my dad and hear my daughters,

you know, say no, no again.

And, and grandpa and Italian.

So that's what he's been enjoying.

And the grandkids.

It's just nice to get everyone all

together and have the kids run around.

And, uh, again, just enjoying the lake

and, uh, what beautiful Sudbury Ontario

has the offer for a couple of months.

I mean, you're doing summer, right.

Then that's the most important

you're spending it by a lake

or spending it with family.

I mean, you're even taking the

dock out and putting the dock in.

I mean, that's a manual labor

that they've got to do it.

Yeah, it's, uh, it's always,

uh, it's always great when

it goes in, but take it out.

It's a pretty sad day.

So, but it's exciting.

Cause I've been talking, he

sees is right around the corner.

So we're looking forward to getting back

to Vinny and getting the season going.

You're coming back to many,

a little empty handed.

You're not bringing Nicholas with you.

Uh, you know, how great would that

have been to have played with your

brother, but obviously I'm sure

you understand and support his

decision as he heads to Boston.

Yeah, listen, I tried,

I tried really hard yet.

I'm a terrible recruiter.

That's all it comes down to.

I will not do that after

my, uh, my career is done.

If I can't get my brother on

my team is going to get someone

who's on my brother on our team.

So, uh, yeah, no, I'm happy for

him and excited, you know, I just

felt, uh, you know, obviously going

through the process with him and, and,

uh, um, was pretty cool, honestly.

I mean, I, it was nice not to be a

free agent and be locked up with Ms

for a while for the next three years.

But.

At the same time too.

It's a it's exciting moment

for Nick and his family.

And, um, And, you know, there's

obviously a lot of good talks with

him and just she, where his head's at.

Um, I just, you know, it's, it's

tough to see him go to Boston, cause

it would be nice to play with them.

But I think the timing of it, all it was,

was meant to be, and, um, you know, really

happy for him at the end to kind of go

do a team that's, you know, right there.

And, and, uh, also he's got

a lot of good ties to Boston.

So, uh, with obviously his daughter,

haven't gone through some surgery

there and things like that.

So it was a, the timing is right, but

there's lots of time left, uh, uh, No to

get to eventually get him in Minnesota.

So now when it comes to siblings,

would you rather, you know, if he's

not going to play with you, would

you rather have him playing on a team

who you see regularly and you guys

can go at it when you see each other?

Or do you want him like far away?

You don't have to deal with them.

Maybe see them once a year,

twice if you're lucky and that's

it, what's the better option.

That's what I've been living next to

this guy for a month and a half now.

And I want him as far away as possible.

So it's been, uh, it was it cause

like, you know, we, we kind of had

that when he was in Ottawa and I was

in Buffalo and could we play it a lot?

And even in Columbus when I was

in Buffalo, but uh, you know

what, I, I don't want to, I don't

want to compete against them.

You know, it's just one

thing that's tough to do.

I'd rather compete against

them in the Stanley cup final.

And so that's, what's great

about him being in the east

and us being in the west.

So, um, there was a lot of teams in our

division that were trying to get Nick.

And, uh, I think they probably

hate me because I was like,

no, you're not going there.

You're not going there.

So, uh, that's, that's,

that's one thing that's good.

I do like that.

We get to see each other twice a

year and that we can keep it to a,

Hey, we mean the Stanley cup finals.

It's a guaranteed standard

cup coming back home.

So that's, what's great about it.

And that's the way we want to keep it.

You know, we do have some fan questions

that we'll get to later on, but one

that actually kind of addresses that.

Bruce Siskey our friend up in

Duluth had asked when Boston

comes to town, are you making Nick

buy you dinner then in exchange?

Oh a hundred percent.

Um, I've even when I go to

Boston, he's buying his wife.

His wife will probably make

that a no, but we'll do it.

Enjoy the city of Boston

when he gets there.

I'm sure he's excited to do that, but

yeah, that's uh, yeah, there was some

things that we waited inside for us,

but, uh, he'll, he'll have to pay back.

Eventually.

You had said, obviously you're

excited to be locked up.

Another guy that's locked up

with the Minnesota wild right

now, the man on your shirt, Mr.

September, for those viewers who

see it, Joel Eriksson Ek, a nice.

Not to scale, not to scale

the clean up the scale.

Um, how excited are you to obviously

have him with you for this long chunk of

time now and have him get that excited?

Yeah, really excited.

I mean, that was awesome

guy on, off the ice.

I mean, especially on ice this

year, it was really excited for him.

And, um, definitely one of the guys

in the room that I think everyone was

excited at how well he did this year.

And, um, I mean, he's always been a great

player for us, but offensively just to

see him break out was, was really excited

and, um, It was nice to see them, you

know, sign early and, and, and, you know,

kind of split that contract right away.

And it just goes to show you the type

of guy he has is very serious about

our room and, and, uh, the goal that

we're trying to get, uh, against you.

Um, he's a big, big piece of our

puzzle that we're trying to build here

in Minnesota to win a Stanley cup.

I mean, you saw the play he had in the

stand in the playoffs, then just all

year, the consistency is still young.

So, um, like I said, heck of a guy off

the ice, have a lot of fun with them

and, you know, Hey, if he's doing well,

there's a good chance I'm doing well.

So we'll just, we'll leave it at that.

It's just, it's nice to, nice to see

the core group kind of coming together.

Well, as, uh, some of these pieces

get solidified and, or added to this

Minnesota wild roster, there was

some pieces taken away at the very

beginning of the off season with the

buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.

Those guys have been stapled to this

Minnesota wild team for a while.

Those are big shoes to

fill big roles to fill.

Um, what is it going to be

like moving forward without

those two guys on this team?

How do you fill the holes that they

leave on the Minnesota wild roster?

Yeah, Ryan, Zach.

I mean, they're, they're great for us.

And obviously they, they, people in

the community of Minnesota on and off

the ice and, you know, they did a lot.

So, um, it's definitely going to

be big shoes to fill, uh, no doubt.

Um, I think, you know, we, we've

kind of discussed it and it's gotta

to be, everyone has to step up.

I think we saw guys step

into roles last year.

Well, now you're going to get to be

a guy that you wouldn't think that

has a little bit more ice time and

they're gonna, you know, break out.

That's good.

It definitely going to help us.

So, um, that's what we need.

I think it's just the everyone

pulling in the same direction,

uh, as a team by committee and

the, to kind of fill those holes.

And, um, you know, I think we have the, I,

you know, like I said, the core group and

the leadership was for G, um, so that we

can all rely on each other and make sure

we get the job done and, um, you know,

make it look like those, those holes are.

That's some of the holes to be filled

then would be the assistant captains.

I mean, your name keeps

getting floated around.

It was floated around, uh,

during Spurgeon grabbing the sea.

But what would that mean to you to be

an assistant and, and to be leader?

Obviously I know you're a guy that

doesn't need the letter, but how

tremendous of an honor would that be?

Oh, that'd be a huge honor, obviously.

Uh, you know, had it a couple of times

last season, but, um, you know, I think

it's just something that you take pride

in and, and, uh, I also see it as just,

you know, Spurgeon is our captain.

So you want to be a support, uh, kind

of have that support system manager

guides count on to support your leader

and, and to make sure the room's

doing what it's supposed to be doing.

And I mean, the media would love it.

We already buggy enough, but you have

the aide to bug you all the time.

Yeah, I know.

I'll get that.

A cliche answers from me again.

And then imagine if Nick

was here, it'd be worse.

Um, you know, guys coming in to fill,

again, some of those holes that you

look at a veteran player, like Alex Goligoski coming in on defense, uh,

Dmitry Kulikov, and then you've

got Freddy Gaudreau up on offense.

What do you know about those guys

and what they might be able to do?

Bring to the Minnesota wild?

I mean, Kulikov to start with him

first, because I mean, I played with

him in Buffalo and uh, he's um, I

would say very steady back there.

I think he's going to help us obviously.

Seems like the top four D will be similar,

maybe Goligoski planner, but he's the

type of guy that can play up with anyone.

So he's a, he's a really good skater.

Um, you can chip in offensively,

uh, sometimes and, um, but just

steady can make a good first

pass and, and place physical too.

So, um, I think he'll be a studies

experience guy now, so it's great to

have those, uh, that's the ability

back there, um, and Goligoski can,

can playing against him in Phoenix

a lot, the past couple of seasons.

Very kind of heads up, uh, very

smart defenseman, uh, almost

like Spurgeon in a sense.

Um, and I think, you know, I know

he's a little bit older, but, uh,

it doesn't look like it on the ice.

So, uh, from what I've texted

with him now, he's pretty comical.

So I think he's going to

fit in nicely with our room.

And, uh, he's going to add that kind

of, that leadership to that experience,

uh, that our insured that we need.

So I'm excited to play with all those

guys and, and, you know, Freddie Gaudreau,

I've just seen a little bit, um, I know

that he had the, he was on the team when

they went to the Stanley cup finals.

I know last year in Pitt, I was just

watching, he had some pretty good goals.

And, uh, I know it was just one

thing about him was the speed and

just kind of a skill set that I

think is underrated, um, really is.

So that's going to help us

definitely in the middle.

Uh, and yeah, we're really looking

forward to getting all those guys

at the camp and just kind of meeting

everyone and, and getting the whole band

going and doing that team chemistry.

Be honest.

When you heard Gaudreau, did

you think it was Johnny hockey?

Like the rest of us did?

I was like, oh no.

Yeah, no, no.

I knew that I knew this one was a, was

a little bit different than the hockey.

So.

But, uh, I'm sure some of the fans

were probably excited about that one.

Uh, you know, you mentioned

camp, which before we started

recording, we were talking about

how quickly summer has moved.

And we're not that far away from

the start of the next hockey

season, believe it or not.

And, um, as we move into this next hockey

season, we're finally moving more towards

a more normal hockey season compared to

what the last two years have looked like.

What are you most looking forward to

as things kind of return to more of

what we're used to as far as planning.

The the opponents you would normally

play against and, and having fans back

in the building for more long-term time.

Uh, what is most exciting for

you heading into this season?

See you guys face to face before

and after a game and all that stuff.

So, uh, honestly just the

fans, that's the biggest thing.

I think that's the easy

one that sticks out.

It was tough.

It was tough this year.

And definitely.

You know, even when we had,

you know, it was great.

We had 2000, 3000 fans and

made a hell of a difference.

It was from hearing your skates,

chop the ice to like, not hearing

that anymore was fabulous.

So yeah.

It was just, yeah,

that's the biggest thing.

And I'm really looking forward to, uh,

pack, uh, the, the ex uh, to be packed

again and just allowed and also going

on the road and playing in front of,

uh, some other great fans to fan basis.