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.
