Alex Goligoski brings well-rounded game in homecoming with Wild

Alex Goligoski is no stranger to Xcel Energy Center.

He's played at the arena throughout his NHL tenure, making pit stops with Pittsburgh, Dallas and most recently Arizona.

"So many times," he said.

But these visits for the Grand Rapids, Minn., native haven't been very fruitful.

In the 22 games Goligoski has skated during the regular season in St. Paul, he's been on the losing end 16 times — including three in a five-day span last season with the Coyotes.

"I always enjoyed coming back and playing here until we play the game," Goligoski said.

Soon, though, he'll have plenty of opportunity to steer that record in the other direction.

On the brink of 1,000 games, Goligoski is returning to his roots after headlining the Wild's offseason makeover on defense as Ryan Suter's replacement on the team's top pairing.

His arrival has the makings of a feel-good homecoming, but there's much more at stake for Goligoski, who is still clamoring to succeed despite an already fulfilling career.

"I want to play on a winning team and have a shot at it," he said.

That's how Goligoski broke into the NHL: his rookie season with the Penguins was in 2009 when Pittsburgh — with current Wild GM Bill Guerin playing a prominent role — hoisted the Stanley Cup.

When he was traded to the Stars two years later, Dallas was regrouping but in time the team became much more competitive in the Western Conference, even claiming a division title and pushing St. Louis to seven games in the second round in 2016.

After that season, Goligoski signed with the Coyotes and has advanced to the playoffs only once since. When he became a free agent in July, winning was on his mind.

"Just playing these guys last year, they were really hard to play against," Goligoski said of the Wild. "Watching them in playoffs, I thought they were going to win that series against Vegas for sure. Just so consistent the whole year, and they turned into a really good, hard team. So, that was one of the reasons I wanted to come here."

The Wild had a need for a left-handed defenseman to play alongside captain Jared Spurgeon after cutting ties with Suter and signed Goligoski to a one-year, $5 million deal. Guerin landed a player who is durable (Goligoski twice has tied for the NHL lead in games played in a season) and reliable (he averages 22 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per game during his career). Noted as a skilled puck-moving defenseman, he was also ninth in the league in blocked shots (108) last season.

Alex Goligoski career statistics

He and Spurgeon had another chance to work on their partnership during preseason action Thursday, a 3-2 overtime win against Chicago at Xcel Energy Center that included a third-period goal by Goligoski. The Wild opens the season next Friday at Anaheim.

"I want to do whatever I can," said the 36-year-old Goligoski, who lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Amanda, and their two children, Roman, 5, and Mila, 3. "I want to play against top lines. I want to complement this team and the direction they've gone and hopefully elevate it even more and help us take the next step."

Goligoski was 15 when the Wild joined the NHL, and he became a fan. He even remembers jumping around when Andrew Brunette scored in overtime during Game 7 against Colorado in the 2003 playoffs.

Suiting up for the Wild one day in the future, though, wasn't a possibility Goligoski thought about growing up.

"I was hoping at that point just maybe playing high school hockey and hoping to maybe make it college," said Goligoski, who accomplished both as a standout with Grand Rapids before representing the Gophers for three seasons.

Eventually, the idea of making it to the NHL clicked, and Goligoski was drafted in the second round, 61st overall, by the Penguins in 2004. Fast forward to the present and he's logged 924 career games.

"I've loved everywhere I've played," Goligoski said. "I feel very lucky to have the career I've had and to play in the places I've played. For it to kind of come full circle back here later in my career, it's really cool to think about the experience."

And it's not over.

The next chapter, in familiar territory, is just getting started.

"I really believe that this is the perfect fit for me," Goligoski said, "and the fact that it's my home state is just a bonus."