No Matter What His Future Holds, Joe Pavelski Is a True Stars Legend

The 39-year-old forward hasn't officially announced his retirement, but his impact with the Stars will be felt for years to come.

When Pete DeBoer took over as head coach of the San Jose Sharks for the 2015-16 season, he had never met Joe Pavelski. He knew of him as a player, but didn't know anything about Pavelski's personality or his impact in the locker room.

It didn't take long for DeBoer to find out. After having conversations with several players including Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau about who the new team captain should be, Pavelski was the consensus choice.

That made quite an impression on DeBoer. Thornton and Marleau were former captains and future Hall of Famers, yet they fully endorsed Pavelski as the man who should wear the C for the Sharks.

"They both said Joe Pavelski should be captain, which is an unbelievable annointing," DeBoer told reporters Tuesday during the team's final media availability of the season. "He wasn't a young player, but was still a relatively young player to have two guys like that say this is the guy. That probably says more about him and his character and what he stands for than anyone could say."

While Jamie Benn is the official captain of the Stars, the man known as Captain America has brought that same charisma and leadership to Dallas since arriving prior to the 2019 season after 13 years with the Sharks.

Pavelski's on-ice numbers speak for themselves: 1,068 points (476 goals, 592 assists) in 1,332 regular-season games over 18 seasons; 307 points (121 goals, 186 assists) during his time in Dallas. He played in 201 playoff games, posting 74 goals and 69 assists for 143 points.

The 74 playoff goals are the most among active players. The Plover, Wisconsin native became the 199th NHL player and the 18th born in the U.S. to notch 300 goals while with the Sharks in 2017. He was the 10th U.S.-born player in NHL history to score 400 career goals, a feat accomplished during the 2021-22 season. His 1,000th NHL point came in a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on April 10, 2023.

While stopping short of officially announcing his retirement Tuesday, Pavelski all but assured his time in Dallas and the NHL as a player had come to an end.

"This was it for me," Pavelski said during Tuesday's exit interviews. "The plan is not to play next year. I don't want to say this is official, but the plan is not to be coming back. There will be more to come on that. Everything is still so raw, nothing official."

For all the stats and honors, it's Pavelski's impact off the ice that will leave a lasting legacy with the Stars. His mentoring of young players is well-documented. Pavelski and his family opened up their home to Wyatt Johnston, who has lived there through his first two NHL seasons. When Logan Stankoven was brought up from the AHL earlier this season, Pavelski put him up as well.

"I can't thank him, his wife Sarah and his son Nate enough," Johnston said Tuesday. "First of all, (Pavelski is) an amazing hockey player. I have learned so much from him in terms of the on-ice, but also away from the rink... It's not just me that he's had a huge impact on, it's everyone, it's the whole organization. It was awesome to play with him the last two years, and having the chance to live with him was amazing."

Perhaps the cruelest twist of fate for Pavelski is never getting the chance to raise the Stanley Cup. It certainly wasn't for lack of trying. He reached the Conference Finals seven times and the Stanley Cup Final twice.

Pavelski led San Jose to its first-ever Stanley Cup Final in 2016, leading the NHL with 14 goals that post-season. Despite his best effort, the Sharks fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

When the Stars made the Cup Final during the 2020 Edmonton playoff bubble, Pavelski led Dallas and was seconde among all players with 13 playoff goals. He passed Maurice 'Rocket' Richard for the most goals scored in one playoff year by a player 34 or older. His 61st career post-season goal came in Game 5 of the Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, passing Hall of Famer Joe Mullen for the most by a U.S.-born player.

Last Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final may have been Pavelski's last shot at a Cup. That realization was not lost on his teammates, several of whom embraced him following Sunday night's loss and became emotional when talking about him during post-game interviews.

"The world," Stars captain Jamie Benn said when asked what Pavelski has meant to the team. "All-time teammate, person. Great leader, good friend."

Goalie Jake Oettinger said it may take a while for the lack of Pavelski's presence to be felt.

"I don't think it will really set in until next year, when we come back for camp and he's not there," Oettinger said. "When we're on the plane, he was right next to me, and he's not in his seat... I just don't think there's enough words to say how big of a presence he is. It's not a hole that you'll ever be able to fill."

In what may have been his final presser as a Stars player, Pavelski held his emotions together until toward the end, when he had to choke back tears after talking about his time in San Jose and the Stars' future.

"Couldn't have asked for more," Pavelski said. "Better teammates, the organization, everything. We worked hard to try to get to the top. We came up a little short, but really enjoyed the time here and what I've been able to accomplish."

Pavelski and his family plan to move back to their home in Wisconsin and figure things out from there. If and when his retirement becomes official, it will be up to those who have learned from him to take the baton and put those lessons into practice.

"I think his fingerprints are going to be all over this (team) for a long time," DeBoer said.