Joe Pavelski, a former Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey player and NHL veteran, announced his retirement after an impressive 18 seasons in the league. The 39-year-old player, who hails from Plover, Wisconsin, made the announcement following the Dallas Stars’ elimination in the league’s West Final against the Oilers with a 4-2 series loss.
During his time at the University of Wisconsin, Pavelski spent three successful seasons as a key member of the men’s hockey program from 2004-2006. He led the team in overall points during their 2006 National Championship-winning season. After college, Pavelski spent 13 years with the San Jose Sharks, participating in numerous playoff games, including their journey to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 where they were defeated by the Penguins. He then went on to join the Dallas Stars in 2019 and reached the Stanley Cup Final again in 2020 but fell short against Tampa Bay Lightning.
Throughout his illustrious career, Pavelski accumulated impressive stats including 475 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 NHL games. His postseason goals are also noteworthy as he has scored a record number of postseason goals for any American-born player in NHL history with a total of 74 goals. Today marks the end of an era for Joe Pavelski as he retires from professional hockey after giving it his all for nearly two decades on some of the biggest stages in sports.
