Foligno is the 2026 winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the league announced Thursday.
The annual award is given “to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice.”
Foligno, alongside his family, helped establish the Janis Foligno Foundation, created in memory of his mother Janis, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer.
Marcus’ brother and Wild teammate, Nick, won the award in 2017 while with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The brothers participated in the Foligno Face-Off, a fundraising campaign part of Hockey Fights Cancer and a joint partnership with the NHL, NHLPA and the V Foundation for cancer research, with 100 per cent of the donations going toward breast cancer research.
The event raised more than $200,000 to fund a new research grant for breast cancer research that will be named in honour of their mother.
In addition to the trophy, Foligno will receive a $25,000 donation from the NHL to benefit a charity of his choice, and the Wild are eligible to receive a grant of up to $20,000 from the NHL to organize a special activation related to his humanitarian cause.
Each team nominates a player for the award, and the winner is chosen by a selection committee that consists of league commissioner Gary Bettman, along with former recipients of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the historic NHL Foundation Player Award.
Aleksander Barkov won the award last season after partnering with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to donate $1,600 for each goal he scored, and $800 for every assist, along with several other charitable contributions.
