He played for the Buffalo Sabres and the Edmonton Oilers, appearing in 924 NHL regular season games between 1974 and 1987, winning the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985.

Fogolin played from 1972–1974 with the Oshawa Generals of the OHA, scoring 52 points in 102 games with 240 PIM.

He was the first of five Oilers to captain the franchise to the Stanley Cup finals, in 1983, where they lost to the New York Islanders.

While a solid defenseman in his own right, he was overshadowed by many of the young stars on the Oilers' roster, most notably the scoring superstar Wayne Gretzky.

His 17-year-old son, Michael Fogolin, was a member of the Prince George Cougars in the Western Hockey League, who died in his sleep on May 26, 2004, of a possible heart condition.