Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski officially announces his retirement from the NHL on Thursday.
The Penguins selected 39-year-old Goligoski 61st overall in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. From 2008 to 2011, he played in Pittsburgh for portions of four seasons.
Goligoski, known as "Goose," was a 2004-2007 Minnesota Golden Gophers player from Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He played in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to begin the 2007-08 season, and on February 8, 2008, he made his NHL debut with the Penguins.
Alex Goligoski was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins team that won the Stanley Cup in 2009, along with Sidney Crosby. After leaving Pittsburgh, he spent 14 seasons playing for Dallas, Arizona, and most recently the Minnesota Wild. During that time, he played 1,078 games.
Alex Goligoski has accumulated 475 points and 87 goals in 17 fantastic NHL seasons. Any team lucky enough to have him on the back end has benefited year after year from his leadership, physicality, and experience.
Goligoski recently became a father for the third time, so he will have plenty to do when he retires from the rink. But it's fair to assume that, given his 17 NHL seasons, we might see him again should he choose to rejoin the league in an executive, coaching, or development role.