With Alex Goligoski a healthy scratch for nearly two straight months, it was fair to wonder when he’d play again.
Or if the 38-year-old had played his last game?
“As the games start building up, you never really know,” he told The Athletic. “You’re always hoping you can get in.
“You just try not to think about it.”
Goligoski did finally get in, playing Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche due to Zach Bogosian’s injury. It was his first game since Feb. 7. He played again Saturday against Winnipeg but was minus-3.
There have been some reasons for that. Most notably, the Minnesota Wild’s decision to claim Declan Chisholm off waivers in late January. The team wants to get a strong look at the young defenseman, a pending RFA, to see what it has. Jon Merrill has played well since the All-Star break, so it’s been hard to take him out.
It’s never easy to sit. But give Goligoski credit for how he’s handled it like a pro, offering no complaints while getting bag-skated every day. It’s been tough, no doubt, but he’s not showing it.
“You’re part of the team,” he said. “You want to see the team do well and you want to be part of it. If you’re not playing, you root for the guys. Eventually, who knows, you’ll get back in there.”
John Hynes has had a few conversations with Goligoski, who said the staff has been “honest” about the situation.
“There’s tough decisions to make, and they do their best to keep everyone in the loop,” he said.
But Goligoski will have a tough decision to make this offseason. His contract is up at the end of the year, and he’ll have to figure out if he’s retiring.
“I think you stay in it while you’re in it,” Goligoski said. “You start asking questions later. We’ll see how everything goes here, get to the offseason, see how you feel and go from there. I honestly haven’t really thought about it too much.”
What Goligoski has thought about, more than ever, is what he plans to do after his career. He loves to cook, so he can explore that passion. It was interesting that in the Wild player poll, a lot of his teammates pegged him as most likely to be a GM.
“I actually think about it a lot,” he said. “It’s definitely something I’m interested in. It’d be something in management. I’ve spent a lot of time in locker rooms. Coaches are here more than we are.”
Goligoski has enjoyed coaching his son, Rolan, 7, in hockey.
“You talk about passion for the game, you get out there with your kid playing, that’s really fun, that’s special,” he said.
ALEX GOLIGOSKI STASHES HOME STEEL’S FEED TO WIN IT FOR THE WILD IN OVERTIME!#mnwild pic.twitter.com/ACoM2IYPOp
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) November 20, 2022
Goligoski and his wife, Amanda, have been busy shuttling Rolan and Mila, 6, around to all their activities, from hockey to baseball, soccer, flag football and gymnastics. The Grand Rapids, Minn., native has been grateful he’s had the chance to play for his hometown team, including for his 1,000th career game last season and scoring in overtime on the night he was honored for the achievement. His kids got to be part of the ceremony and were old enough to likely remember it. “It’ll be a special memory for them and for me,” Goligoski said.
The veteran defenseman has soaked in more of the off-ice stuff with teammates this season, like their golf outing at Pelican Hill on the California coast, noting how the camaraderie is the thing that most players miss the most after they’re done.
“I’ll always love playing,” Goligoski said. “Some days are harder than others. But we’re very lucky. We’ve got the best profession in the world. Come here, compete, try to get better, hang out with a bunch of your buddies. It’s a game I grew up loving and am very passionate about.”
Goligoski watches his former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate, Marc-Andre Fleury, 39, and said he looks like he hasn’t aged in 20 years. If…
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