Blackhawks' Foligno defends fighting Devils' Smith after hit on Bedard

Chicago Blackhawks veteran Nick Foligno said he held no ill will toward the New Jersey Devils' Brendan Smith, but a fight between the two had to happen after the latter laid out rookie Connor Bedard with a hit that broke his jaw.

"You know what? You can argue it's a clean it, (but) it's our best player," Foligno told reporters on Saturday, about the hit that happened in a game on Jan. 5. "So, he's going after our best player. And I think he's an honest player, Smith. I have a ton of respect for him and think he plays the game the right way. He targeted one of our players, who was in a vulnerable spot at the time."

Smith hit Bedard as the rookie carried the puck into the Devils' zone, prompting Foligno to engage him in a fight behind the net. That same fight resulted in Foligno fracturing a finger.

Foligno defended the fight and fighting's role in the game.

"I wonder what their reaction would be if we did that to (Devils star Jack) Hughes?" he said. "No ill will toward Smith. He's doing his job for his team, but we're gonna do the job for ours as well and back up our own. Especially a young kid who's finding his way in the league — and our star player. You gotta make sure he knows he feels protected."

Bedard's fractured jaw is expected to keep him out of Chicago's lineup for six to eight weeks. The 18-year-old was leading his team in goals (15), assists (18) and points (33) when he went down, and appeared to be a lock for the Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year.

"You're gonna hit one of our stars, that's the response you're gonna get. And if we're gonna hit one of yours, that's the response we're probably gonna get," Foligno said. "If you don't get a response, it's like, 'Oh, the ice just got a little bit bigger for us. Now we've got a lot more room.'

"I think that in order to play hockey the right way, that's gotta be the response."