The Dallas Stars and Joe Pavelski announced today that the veteran forward is retiring from the National Hockey League after an illustrious 18-season career.
Pavelski, 40, accumulated 1,068 points (476 goals, 592 assists) in 1,332 regular-season games, spanning five seasons with the Dallas Stars and 13 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He joined the Stars as a free agent on July 1, 2019, and played 369 regular-season games with the team, recording 307 points (121 goals, 186 assists). During his time in Dallas, Pavelski led the team in assists (186) and ranked second in points (307) and third in goals (121). He was the team’s points leader for two consecutive seasons from 2020-22, including a career-high 81 points (27 goals, 54 assists) in the 2021-22 season at age 37. Pavelski also served as the Central Division captain for the 2022 All-Star Weekend, marking his fourth NHL All-Star appearance and his first with the Stars.
“The standard of excellence that Joe brought with him to the rink every day has left a lasting impact on our organization,” said Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill. “From his leadership in the locker room, practice habits, mentoring of young players, and continually striving to improve his game, our success over the last five seasons has Joe’s fingerprints all over it. Throughout his career, he has proven to be one of the best to ever play the game, and his extensive resume speaks for itself. We congratulate him on a tremendous career and look forward to what the next chapter holds for Joe, Sarah, and Nate.”
Pavelski participated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four of his five seasons with the Stars, reaching the Western Conference Final three times (2020, 2023, 2024) and the Stanley Cup Final once (2020). In 67 postseason games with Dallas, he scored 43 points (26 goals, 17 assists).
During his tenure with the Sharks, Pavelski notched 761 points (355 goals, 406 assists) in 963 games. He ranks second in Sharks franchise history in goals (355), third in points (761), and fourth in assists (406). He also ranks second in power-play goals (121), game-winning goals (60), and plus/minus rating (+108), and third in power-play points (278). Pavelski posted 20 or more goals in 10 of 11 seasons from 2008-2019, with a career-high 41 goals in the 2013-14 season.
San Jose made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 12 of Pavelski’s 13 seasons with the club, including four Western Conference Final appearances (2010, 2011, 2016, 2019) and one Stanley Cup Final run (2016). In Sharks playoff history, Pavelski ranks second in goals (48), third in assists (52), and fourth in points (100), as well as second in power-play goals (22) and game-winning goals (12).
Pavelski served as the Sharks’ captain for his final four seasons with the franchise (2015-2019) and represented the team at the NHL All-Star Game three times (2016, 2017, 2019).
Pavelski concludes his career ranked fifth among U.S.-born players in goals (476) and points (1,068), and 11th in assists (592). He is third in power-play goals (176), shares fifth in game-winning goals (75), and ranks seventh in plus/minus rating (+201). Pavelski recorded 25 or more goals in 12 of his 18 seasons, the third most among U.S.-born skaters. In postseason play, he leads all U.S.-born players in goals (74), power-play goals (30), and game-winning goals (18), and ranks third in points (143) and shares seventh in assists (69). He played in his 200th career postseason game in Game 5 of the 2024 Western Conference Final against Edmonton, becoming only the second U.S.-born player to reach this milestone.
Internationally, Pavelski represented the United States in two Olympic Games (2010, 2014), helping Team USA to a silver medal in 2010. He also competed in the 2009 IIHF World Championship and served as team captain for Team USA during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound forward was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft.
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