Alex Goligoski Announces Retirement

Alex Goligoski skates on the ice wearing a white Minnesota Wild jersey
Creator: Sergei Belski | Credit: USA TODAY Sports Copyright: USA TODAY Sports

Today, NHL veteran Alex Goligoski officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. Goligoski ended his career with the Minnesota Wild, his hometown team, after 17 seasons in the NHL. His last three seasons were close to his Grand Rapids hometown with the Wild.

During his long professional hockey career, Goligoski played for four different teams. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, he stayed with them for almost four seasons until he was traded to the Dallas Stars in February 2011. During his time in Pittsburgh, he was part of the 2008-09 Stanley Cup run. After being traded to Dallas, Goligoski played in Texas for the next five seasons. He was traded to the Arizona Coyotes after the 2015-16 season and signed a five-year contract with them. Goligoski signed in 2021 with the Wild to end his long professional career.

Goligoski played a total of 1078 games in the NHL. During his 1000th game celebration on October 20, 2022, Goligoski scored the winning goal in a 4-3 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks. It was a Cinderella moment for a veteran player who had been a consistent scratch during his time with the Wild.

Sam Steel and Freddy Gaudreau were both on the ice with Goligoski when he scored the goal, an unlikely trio. Goligoski almost never played overtime with the Wild, but in celebration, former head coach Dean Evason put him out and he ended up scoring.

In the end, the stay-at-home defenseman retired with 475 points split with 87 goals and 388 assists. He had an overall +55 and 376 penalty minutes in his career. Ending with the Wild is a fitting conclusion for a Minnesota boy who just welcomed his third child into the world.

For more Minnesota Wild news and vibe checks, listen to Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast.

Throwing Walleye and Dented Jock Straps Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast

The pod is back! The hockey world has been all a tizzy the past 24 hours, so Mikki is back to discuss. From the fish-tossing debate with the Seattle Kraken and Auston Matthews's mysterious trip to Germany to Nashville's bench minor and Zuccarello's unfortunate injury, there is plenty to talk about.Links:Her Wild Side Merch Shop!Ticketmaster Affiliate LinkSocial Media:TwitterInstagramFacebookFor more from us, visit Inside The RinkHow to support us and our sponsors:Columbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITR  
  1. Throwing Walleye and Dented Jock Straps
  2. Zuccarello's All-Star Game and the McDavid Wedding
  3. Let's Talk About Brock Faber's Contract Extension
  4. Summer Hockey and Why Minnesota Is the State of Hockey
  5. PWHL Minnesota is a Mess. Can It Be Saved?

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Ontario Reign Name Andrew Lord As New Bench Boss

After the departure of head coach Marco Sturm, the Ontario Reign had been searching for a new head coach to take the bench for next season. Yesterday, the club, a part of the Los Angeles Kings, announced that they hired Andrew Lord as the new bench boss. Lord, 40, will be entering his twelfth season […]

Read More

Winnipeg Jets Sign Five Players to Two-Way Contract

The Winnipeg Jets signed five players to identical one-year, two-way contracts on Wednesday, July 2nd, to help bolster the team’s depth and American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Goaltender Isaac Poulter, defenseman Kale Clague, and forwards Phillip Di Giuseppe, Samuel Fagemo, and Walker Duehr are on one-year deals worth an average annual value of […]

Read More

ECHL: Norfolk Admirals Announce New Assistant Coaches

The Norfolk Admirals will have some new faces on the bench next season as they’ve announced two new assistant coaches to Jeff Carr’s staff for the 2025-26 season. Steve Haddon and CJ D’Alimonte have both been named assistant coaches. They replace Brent Clarke, who has spent the last two seasons as an Assistant Coach with […]

Read More