The Dallas Stars and Joe Pavelski announced today that the forward is retiring from the NHL after an 18-season career.
Pavelski, 40, accumulated 1,068 points (476 goals, 592 assists) in 1,332 regular-season games, with five seasons spent with the Dallas Stars and 13 with the San Jose Sharks. Signing with Dallas as a free agent on July 1, 2019, Pavelski played 369 regular-season games for the Stars, scoring 307 points (121 goals, 186 assists). During this time, he led the team in assists (186), was second in points, and third in goals. He topped the Stars’ points chart for consecutive seasons from 2020-22, including a career-high 81 points in the 2021-22 season at age 37. He was named the Central Division captain for the 2022 All-Star Weekend, marking his fourth NHL All-Star appearance and his first with the Stars.
Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill praised Pavelski’s contributions, highlighting his leadership, practice habits, and mentorship. Nill acknowledged Pavelski’s integral role in the team’s success over the past five seasons and commended his illustrious career.
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). He scored 43 points (26 goals, 17 assists) in 67 postseason games with Dallas.
During his time with the Sharks, Pavelski recorded 761 points (355 goals, 406 assists) in 963 games, ranking second in franchise history in goals, third in points, and fourth in assists. He also ranks second in power-play goals (121), game-winning goals (60), and plus/minus rating (+108). Pavelski posted 20 or more goals in 10 of 11 seasons from 2008-2019, with a career-high 41 goals in 2013-14.
The Sharks made the playoffs in 12 of Pavelski’s 13 seasons, with four trips to the Western Conference Final (2010, 2011, 2016, 2019) and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016. Pavelski ranks second in goals (48), third in assists (52), and fourth in points (100) in Sharks playoff history. He also ranks second in power-play goals (22) and game-winning goals (12) in 134 postseason games with San Jose.
Pavelski served as the Sharks’ captain from 2015-2019 and represented them in the NHL All-Star Game three times (2016, 2017, 2019).
Pavelski finishes his career ranked fifth among U.S.-born players in goals (476) and points (1,068), and 11th in assists (592). He also ranks third in power-play goals (176), fifth in game-winning goals (75), and seventh in plus-minus rating (+201). He scored 25 or more goals in 12 of his 18 seasons, the third-most among U.S.-born players. In the postseason, 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 seventh in assists (69). He reached his 200th career postseason game in the 2024 Western Conference Final against Edmonton, becoming the second U.S.-born player to achieve this milestone.
Internationally, Pavelski represented the United States in two Olympic Games (2010, 2014), earning a silver medal in 2010. He also played in the 2009 IIHF World Championship and captained Team USA during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound forward was originally drafted by San Jose in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft.
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