Joe Pavelski said goodbye on Monday.
Pavelski had already announced his retirement after the Dallas Stars lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference finals in June.
The 40-year-old released a statement via Stars.
Joe Pavelski's full retirement letter: pic.twitter.com/aAcXKeJb1B
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 22, 2024
Of course, Pavelski was a big deal to Dallas fans, but even more so to San Jose Sharks fans.
The Sharks selected him in the seventh round of the 2003 draft and he became one of the franchise's most beloved players in history, leading the team to its first-ever Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
So Pavelski couldn't say goodbye without talking about his time with the San Jose Sharks, which ended with him signing with the Stars in 2019.
“There are two moments in my career that really stand out. Funny enough, both started with me getting knocked out. Both incidents happened in the playoffs: once in the 2019 playoffs with San Jose playing Vegas and once in 2023 with Dallas playing Minnesota,” Pavelski wrote, referring to his tangled up with Cody Eakin in 2019 and receiving a high hit from Matt Dumba in 2023.
Pavelski returned in 2019 and 2023 with a two-week delay.
“In both cases, my teammates supported me and the team made further in the playoffs while I was recovering, giving me a chance to return to the lineup,” he wrote. “I was fortunate to score in both return games, with a goal and an assist in Game 7 against Colorado at San Jose and four goals in Game 1 against Seattle at Dallas. The look on Jumbo's face as he returned to the bench and seeing the excitement in his heart is still etched in my mind.”
So what's next for Pavelski?
“This is a great time for my family,” he said last week. “As a player, I feel like I'm ready to step away from the game.”
The Sharks tried to bring back Pavelski from retirement.
It remains to be seen whether a post-hockey career is in the cards for the family-oriented Pavelski, as the doors are certainly open in both Dallas and San Jose.
Pavelski had 355 goals and 406 assists in 963 games with the San Jose Sharks and 121 goals and 186 assists in 369 games with the Stars.
Pavelski had 74 goals and 69 assists in 201 playoff games.
Pavelski retired as the 2003 draft's all-time leading scorer for goals (476) and points (1,068).
