Pittsburgh, PA -- (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Alex Goligoski to a three-year contract on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old was the third-leading scorer amongst rookie defenseman last season with six goals and 14 assists in 45 games. He also played in two games of the playoffs and registered an assist to aid Pittsburgh in earning its third Stanley Cup title in franchise history.

"Alex is a skilled young defenseman and a tremendous skater, and we are pleased to sign him to a multi-year deal as we continue to build our young core," said Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero. "He gained some valuable experience this season and made contributions to our Stanley Cup run. He is another example of a great future here in Pittsburgh."

Goligoski actually made his NHL debut during the 2007-08 season but appeared in just three games. Later that season as a part of Pittsburgh's American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Grand Rapids, Minnesota native set an AHL record for points by a blueliner in a playoff campaign with 28.