Future Hall of Fame Officially announces his retirement

Long-time NHL forward Joe Pavelski has confirmed what many hockey fans have already suspected: his professional hockey career in the NHL has come to a close. After his Dallas Stars were eliminated in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals by the Edmonton Oilers, it seemed all but certain that the hockey world had seen the last of Pavelski.

Pavelski made an appearance on the NHL Morning Skate, where he officially announced his retirement from professional hockey in the NHL.

Pavelski, who turns 40 in July, was the NHL's second-oldest player this season, behind Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano. The Wisconsin native had another solid 2023-24 season for the Stars, his fifth with the franchise. In 82 games, he scored 27 goals and 67 points. However, his age began to show during the playoffs, where the speed of the game appeared too much for Pavelski at times. During the Stars' 19-game playoff run, Pavelski only produced 1 goal and 4 points.

Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer called it a privilege to coach Pavelski during his post-game press conference. This was DeBoer's second time coaching Joe, having previously worked with him in San Jose. DeBoer credited Pavelski for helping him communicate with players and sell the team's vision on the right way to play to achieve success.

Although Pavelski never captured the Stanley Cup, he holds the record for the most playoff goals by an American-born player with 74. He reached the Stanley Cup Final twice in his career: in 2016 with the Sharks and in 2020 with the Stars.

Pavelski finishes his career with 1,332 NHL regular season games played, scoring 476 goals and 1,068 points. He suited up for two NHL teams, the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. Not bad for a seventh-round pick from 2003.

Source: Blade of Steel
Free Agent Joe Pavelski Announces His Future Hockey Plans