FEATURE: Goodsir back in a college town, where he's comfortable and thriving

By David Fine//Coralville, Iowa – In some senses, forward Adam Goodsir has already had his “dream come true” moment; he grew up a season ticket holder for Michigan State hockey, lived up a few miles from MSU’s campus in Okemos, MI, played hockey for the Spartans for four years, and has now established himself as a key piece for Iowa in his first professional season. 

“It’s like how Coralville is to Iowa City,” Goodsir said, referring to how close his hometown Okemos is to Michigan State’s campus. 

From that standpoint, though Goodsir lives a few hundred miles away from his hometown, he and his wife have found a comfortable home living in Coralville as Adam pursues his next dream of advancing up the minor league ranks and making the NHL. 

“There’s a lot going on downtown and there’s always stuff to do with cool restaurants,” Goodsir said. “When we moved here, my wife and I walked around the University of Iowa campus and talked about how it’s cool to see another Big Ten school with that hustle and bustle.”

There’s also an increased emphasis on “family” that’s refreshing to hear when you speak to Goodsir about his upbringing. When he started living away from Michigan to continue his junior career in Wichita Falls, TX, his mother, Kerry, moved with him and helped billet another player on the team. Goodsir then moved on to Kearney, Nebraska to play for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm and graduated from high school in Kearney. After two USHL seasons, he matriculated to his dream school, Michigan State. 

While skating for the Spartans, he played under the tutelage of Michigan State assistant coach Joe Exter, who is now the Heartlanders’ Associate Coach. 

Exter and Goodsir both moved on from Michigan State in summer 2022. Exter accepted a job with Iowa and Goodsir completed a strong NCAA career by averaging a point-per-game for Long Island University just outside New York City. Exter has helped recruit a handful of former Michigan State talents to the Heartlanders, including goaltender Drew DeRidder. 

“The same day I signed with Worcester, I got a call from Joe Exter. I told him I had already signed with Worcester and he said, ‘I’ll talk to you this summer, we’ll [find a way] to get you to Iowa.’”

That mission was slightly delayed, but not by much. Goodsir completed the 2022-23 season with Worcester and re-signed with the Railers in the offseason. After starting 2023-24 with Worcester, he came to the rink on a mid-November morning in Massachusetts. 

“I was going to change into my workout gear,” he said. “Their coaches called me in to their office and told me I had been traded to Iowa. The first thing I thought was ‘I’m back with Drew DeRidder.’ I went home and told my wife. We loaded up my truck and arrived that night.” 

Now two months into his career with the Heartlanders, Goodsir is back in a new place that feels familiar, a Big Ten college town, where he’s helping to build Iowa into a strong community asset. 

“I’ve loved every moment since I’ve been here. My wife has a new job here. I got welcomed in with warm arms from my teammates and the coaches. Truthfully, it’s been great playing here.”