CHICAGO -- Nick Foligno will be away from the Chicago Blackhawks for the time being to attend to a family matter.

In a statement released by the Blackhawks on Wednesday, their captain “is taking a brief leave of absence as his daughter (Milana) undergoes follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease. Nick, nor the Blackhawks, will have any further comment at this time.”

Milana, who turned 12 on Tuesday, was born with a congenital heart defec t. She is the eldest of the Foligno’s three children; they also have two sons, Hudson and Landon.

Milana was only three weeks old when she had her first heart surgery to insert an expandable stent. She’s also had other procedures on her heart, including a valve replacement after being diagnosed with endocarditis, an inflammation of

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