SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski is scheduled to play in his 1,000th NHL game tonight when the Wild host the Vancouver Canucks at 7 pm on Bally Sports North and KFAN 100.3 FM.
Goligoski, 37, will become the 371st player (368th skater/123rd defenseman) in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game milestone. The 5-foot-11, 177-pound native of Grand Rapids, Minn., will be the ninth player to play his 1,000th game in a Wild sweater, joining Zach Parise (Feb. 7, 2020 at Dallas), Mikko Koivu (Dec. 1, 2019 vs. Dallas), Ryan Suter (Oct. 25, 2018 vs. Los Angeles), Eric Staal (March 19, 2017 at Winnipeg), Matt Cooke (March 11, 2014 vs. Edmonton), Matt Cullen (Jan. 10, 2012 vs. San Jose), Andrew Brown (Feb. 1, 2011 vs. Los Angeles) and Keith Carney (Feb. 24, 2008 vs. Calgary).
Goligoski has recorded 459 points (85-374=459) including 145 power-play points, a plus-69 rating, 342 penalty minutes (PIM), 1,110 hits and 1,672 blocked shots in 999 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Dallas, Arizona and Minnesota. . He owns 21 points (7-14=21) in 53 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Goligoski ranks 75th in assists and T-86th in scoring among defensemen in NHL history. Among active NHL defensemen, he ranks eighth in games played and 11th in assists and scoring. Goligoski signed as a free agent with Minnesota on July 28, 2021, and has tallied 30 points (2-28=30) and a plus-38 rating in 75 games with the Wild. He set a career-high and franchise record with a plus-41 rating last season.
Goligoski will also become the 10th Minnesota-born player (fourth defenseman) to reach the 1,000-game milestone. He ranks third all-time among Minnesota-born players in assists, fourth in scoring and seventh in goals.
Goligoski was selected by Pittsburgh in the second round (61st overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft.
The Wild will honor Goligoski for reaching the 1,000-game NHL milestone in a special pre-game ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 19 when it hosts the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m
Tickets to tonight’s game against Vancouver can be found at wild.com/tickets or ticketmaster.com.
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