BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Marcus Foligno vividly recalls attending
the on-ice ceremony when his father, Mike, was inducted into the
Buffalo Sabres' Hall of Fame.
Little did the youngster realize then that some four years later
he'd earn an opportunity to build on the family legacy in Buffalo.
Foligno, the youngest son of the popular former Sabres captain,
will get that chance after Buffalo selected him in the fourth
round, 104th overall, in the NHL draft on Saturday.
"This is awesome. It just worked out perfect," Foligno said by
phone from the draft in Montreal. "It seemed like it was meant to
be."
Only time will tell whether he can come anywhere close to
matching his father's accomplishments.
Mike Foligno spent 10 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Sabres and
became a fan favorite for his rugged and offensive style. He ranks
sixth on Buffalo's list with 247 career goals, eighth in career
points (511) and second with 1,450 penalty minutes.
"Just knowing what my dad has done in Buffalo is something
that's pretty big, and I hope to do as well as he," the younger
Foligno said. "I'm looking forward to going to Buffalo and seeing
what I can do to make my own shoes."
Foligno has begun making an impression after his second season
playing for the Ontario Hockey League's Sudbury Wolves, a team that
happens to be coached by his father.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, the feisty forward had 30
points (12 goals, 18 assists) and 96 penalty minutes in 65 games
last season. At 17, he's expected to require a few more years to
develop.
Mike Foligno couldn't be more proud, especially after watching
his son pull on the Sabres jersey at the team's draft table.
"It's beautiful. I'm very ecstatic right now. It's such an
incredible thing to happen," said Foligno, who also played for
Detroit, Toronto and Florida. "The memories that flashed through
your mind as soon as he was selected. ... You just can't say any
words of what it means to us."
As for his son's potential, Foligno noted that Marcus is still
growing and developing.
"I can only imagine what the upside is," Foligno said. "I
just hope that someday he gets the opportunity to help the Buffalo
Sabres accomplish their goal by winning the Stanley Cup."
Marcus also has a chance to follow his brother into the NHL.
Nick Foligno was selected by Ottawa in the first round of the 2006
draft and, completed his rookie season with the Senators last year.
The Sabres entered the draft with a philosophy to add players
with size and grit, which is one of the reasons Foligno was on
their radar.
"We didn't draft him just because his name was Foligno," said
Kevin Devine, Sabres director of amateur scouting. "His name
could've been Smith, and we would've taken him."
The last name did play a factor, though.
"I like to bet on character. I like to bet on genes," Devine
added. "Everything just pointed to him. And then the fact that the
name is Foligno was a bonus."
Buffalo opened the draft by selecting rugged right wing Zack
Kassian in the first round on Friday. The Sabres, who didn't have a
second-round pick, then opened Saturday's portion of the draft by
selecting 6-foot-4 defenseman Brayden McNabb, who plays for
Kootenay of the Western Hockey League.
Buffalo rounded out the draft by selecting defenseman Mark
Adams, who played last season with Boston's Malden Catholic High
School, in the fifth round; Miami University goalie Connor Knapp in
the sixth round; and forward Maxime Legault (Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League, Shawinigan) in the seventh.
For Marcus Foligno, he was growing frustrated as each selection
passed without his name being called. Being chosen by Buffalo
proved to be worth the wait.
"In the end, I totally regret getting mad," he said. "I'm all
smiles. And all the rounds that went by just lit a fire under me to
work that much harder and get to the NHL as quickly as I can."