EXCLUSIVE: Despite Hurdles, Devils' Nolan Foote Never Lost Motivation Or Love For The Game
It is not uncommon to see a child follow in their parent's footsteps.
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Most of the time, this involves taking over the family business and capitalizing on existing cash flow and opportunities.
However, for Nolan Foote, those footsteps led to his passion and being selected in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, British Columbia.
His father, Adam Foote, played defense in the NHL for 19 seasons and was in Vancouver to see his son walk to the stage after the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him 27th overall.
"I grew up playing this game," Foote told The Hockey News in a phone interview. "I fell into it from my dad, and I love it."
Eventually, the 6-foot-3 forward was traded to the New Jersey Devils and made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on April 18, 2021.
Apr 11, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New Jersey Devils forward Nolan Foote (25) celebrates with team mates at the bench after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
While he prioritized his skating and developed his game in front of hockey fans in Newark, New Jersey, and Utica, New York, he quietly focused on staying motivated to overcome a lingering injury.
After being sidelined for most of the 2023-24 season with an undisclosed injury, Foote revealed that injury during his end-of-season media availability.
"It has kind of been lingering for four years; it happened a while ago," he shared. "A low back injury disc issue. It sucks that it has been going on for that long."
The timing could not be worse for a first-round pick following his passion and looking to advance his professional hockey career.
"It is very challenging to try and deal with that, especially when you are trying to make the big club," Foote said. "It was hard."
There is a saying, "There is no education like diversity." Through his experiences, Foote learned at a young age the importance of listening to the body and resting when needed - a valuable lesson that will serve him throughout his career.
"It's really important to manage it, and I think it is really good to get opinions from different doctors, and that is what I did," he said. "I wanted everyone who I saw (to share) what they thought about it and to figure out what the right path was to help it. I worked with a lot of good people."
Through his doctors, he heard stories about other athletes, even outside of hockey, who had similar experiences and learned how they handled symptoms and recovery.
Of course, everyone knows there is the mental side of dealing with a physical injury. While held off the ice, Foote kept himself busy with books and reaching out to those closest to him.
"Last year was tough with missing so much time," he said. "I tried my best to keep myself busy with quite a bit of reading. I read a lot of sports books. I talked to a lot of family and friends, people closest to me, about everything that was going on. I think that is really important.
"I tried to stay busy because it was the worst just sitting there for so long," he continued.
His favorite book that he read is Relentless, written by Tim S. Grover, whom Kobe Bryant worked with throughout his career.
Utica's Nolan Foote redirects a shot past Amerks goalie Aaron Bell.
Foote has experienced much uncertainty in starting his professional hockey career, but his motivation and love for the game have never wavered.
"Whether this stuff comes up or not, it is not going to affect how I feel (about the game)," he said. "I have been through these injuries already, and it honestly motivates me more to keep doing things that make me feel good, off the ice, on the ice, whatever it is."
To start the 2024-25 season, Foote says that he is feeling great. Through 11 games, he is tied with defenseman Seamus Casey with a team-leading nine points (four goals, five assists).
With injuries to a couple of New Jersey's depth players and no extra forwards currently with the Devils, an opportunity could be on the horizon.
And if that call from New Jersey comes through?
"I am ready."
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