Get ready for some hugs.

It’s been nearly 11 months since Nick Foligno last walked the halls of Nationwide Arena, and the beloved former Blue Jackets captain is eager to return for the first time. He’s a Boston Bruin now, so his walk to the visiting locker room will be a little farther down the hall, but distance won’t be the only reason it will be a longer stroll.

“You know me and my hugs,” Foligno said Thursday, two days before facing the Blue Jackets for the first time since the April trade that sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I’m excited just to give people hugs and thank them for what was an incredible nine years. We’ve had some amazing times, you know?”

Many of those memories will likely come rushing back once he enters the building. Foligno scored the winning goal in overtime for the franchise’s first home playoff victory, was the Blue Jackets’ captain for a franchise-record 16-game winning streak, provided leadership during four straight playoff appearances and scored an important goal during the stunning 2019 sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That’s just to name a few.

“When you look back on my time in Columbus, I was pretty fortunate,” said Foligno, who was traded to the Blue Jackets in 2012 by the Ottawa Senators. “We had a lot more fun and great times than we did heartbreaking, bad moments, and I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud of the people I got to play with, and the people in the organization I got to work with … from the training staff to the people in the front office, all of our ticket staff people and so many other people you meet. I’m just excited to see them again and thank them.”

Foligno, who has dealt with three separate injuries this season, has kept in touch with a number of his former teammates. He also remains a favorite of Blue Jackets fans for two main reasons: toughness on the ice and a warm personality off it.

Foligno's children were born in Columbus, including two needing care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for serious health conditions, and the plan remains for the Foligno family — Nick, Janelle and their three kids — to move back once he retires.

For those reasons, this isn't just a notable return. It's a homecoming.

“It’s always a weird time when you leave through a trade in the middle of the season, especially as captain,” he said. “You feel a little guilty at the time, but it was a chance for me to chase my dream of winning (the Stanley Cup). That didn’t work out, unfortunately, but it was a great experience. Now, I’m just excited to come back and have a moment with the fans that I didn’t really get, just to circle back and be around and thank them for what they’ve meant to me.”

Foligno’s return, of course, will be rolled into an even bigger celebration for the retirement of Rick Nash’s No. 61 jersey. The pregame ceremony for that will begin at 5:30 p.m. and may include a ceremonial puck drop featuring Nash, Foligno and Boone Jenner – the Blue Jackets’ last three captains.

Foligno, as expected, said he has no hard feelings about Nash’s big night overshadowing his return.

“I’m impartial,” he said. “It’s a great night for Rick. I think it’s an amazing thing for him. I’m not going to be one of those guys who thinks, ‘Oh, it’s my first game back. What the heck?’ This is bigger than me, and if you think like that, there’s something wrong with you. I’m just thrilled for his family and him. After what he did for that organization during the time he was there, I’m really happy to see he’s being honored the way he should be. And I’m sure he’s thrilled.”

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Nick Foligno 'excited' for return against Blue Jackets