Producer Fred
#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.
B E T T O R edge.com.
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It's, it's a lot of fun.
You get to pick and choose people
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
heat, whatever you want.
We've got it all at our bar dog.
Beauty's Teespring store.
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.