Alex Goligoski, whose 17-year NHL career included a Stanley Cup championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, announced his retirement on Thursday in an interview with The Athletic‘s Joe Smith.
The 39-year-old Goligoski, who hails from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, appeared in 36 games with the Minnesota Wild during the 2023-24 regular season, collecting 10 assists while averaging 14:49 of ice time.
The Goligoski family recently welcomed a third child, a son named Luka, and Alex told Smith that he wishes to spend more time with his children but would also “love” to eventually become an NHL general manager.
Alex Goligoski had an idea this would be his final #NHL season, but neither he nor his wife expected what became a 'dream' retirement gift: their miracle son, Luka. Caught up w/ Goligoski + family on finishing at home, life after hockey + more #mnwild https://t.co/OnxWy7Pvjf
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) September 5, 2024
The Pittsburgh Penguins originally selected Goligoski, a 5’11” left-handed defenseman, in the second round (No. 61 overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft. After a successful NCAA career at the University of Minnesota, Goligoski made his NHL debut with the Penguins in the 2007-08 season.
Goligoski skated in parts of four seasons with the Penguins to begin his NHL career before being traded to the Dallas Stars midway through the 2010-11 campaign in exchange for fellow defenseman Matt Niskanen and winger James Neal. After finishing the year with the Stars, Goligoski spent five more full seasons in Dallas, scoring a career-high 42 points in 2013-14.
The Arizona Coyotes acquired Goligoski’s signing rights from the Stars as he neared unrestricted free agency in 2016, and they successfully signed the veteran defender to a five-year deal. Goligoski remained productive over his five seasons in the desert and averaged at least 23 minutes per game in four of his five years with the club.
After joining his hometown Wild in 2021, Goligoski racked up 30 points in 2021-22 but subsequently found himself in an unfamiliar role as a reserve player over the following two seasons. He managed just 16 points in 82 games over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with the Wild.
Over his entire 1,078-game NHL career with the Penguins, Stars, Coyotes, and Wild, Goligoski collected 87 goals and 455 points; he added seven goals and 21 points in 47 playoff games with those four clubs.