The decision to return home and continue his NHL career wasn't an easy one for Matt Cullen. But ultimately, it ended up being the right one.

Cullen, a Virginia, Minn. native and Moorhead resident, signed a one-year deal with the Wild on Wednesday worth $1 million with another $700,000 worth of incentives possible. The 40-year old Cullen has been a revelation for the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. With that in mind, it would have been understandable if Cullen decided to ride off into the sunset, his day with the Cup approaching later this month.

Instead, the former St. Cloud State Husky decided to try for a personal championship three-peat, this time with his hometown club.

"I was really pleased with how I felt in the playoffs and through the Finals, I was really happy with how my body responded to a couple weeks off after the season," Cullen said. "I think that was a big part of the reason why I felt I could play again."

After deciding that he could still play at a high level, Cullen needed to decide where that would take place.

He's developed a special relationship with Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford over the years, the same man who brought him to Carolina more than a decade ago. Ready to hang up the skates two summers ago after a two-year stint with the Nashville Predators, Rutherford called again, this time bringing Cullen to Pittsburgh. 

Two Stanley Cups later, the decision to keep playing couldn't have worked out any better. But eventually, the draw of family -- specifically his wife Bridget and sons Brooks, 9, Wyatt, 7, and Joey, 6 -- won out over a return to western Pennsylvania.

"It's hard to say goodbye, but at age 40, it's time to let the kids plant some roots and settle down at home because, as you go through a long career, the kids give up a lot in order to allow you to play," said Cullen. "At a certain point here, it becomes more important to be fair to them, too. It's a great scenario that I can continue to play in the NHL and be home. It's an organization I'm really comfortable with and happy to be a part of.

Read more at Wild.com.