Joe Pavelski Plans to Retire from NHL After 18-Year Career With Stars, Sharks

Dallas Stars veteran Joe Pavelski says Sunday's Game 6 Western Conference Finals elimination loss will mark the last game of his 18-year NHL career.

"This is it for me," Pavelski said Tuesday, per NHL.com's Taylor Baird.

Pavelski added that he has known for a long time that his "plan is to not play next season," per Baird.

Pavelski's announcement comes two days after the Stars' season ended with a 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

The conference finals trip capped off Pavelski's fifth year in Dallas after thirteen seasons with the San Jose Sharks.

He closes out his 18th NHL season having totaled 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games, the fifth-most among all active players.

Pavelski is an unrestricted free agent for the second straight summer after playing each of the past two seasons on one-year deals for the Stars.

Stars teammates shared emotional comments on Pavelski's impact on the team after their season-ending loss to the Oilers:

Pavelski, 39, was the second-oldest player to skate in the league this season as he appeared in every regular-season game for Dallas for the third straight year.

One of the most consistent scorers in the NHL throughout his career, Pavelski put up 27 goals for the Stars in 2023-24 to mark the 14th 20-goal campaign of his career.

He will now finish out his career as one of the most successful late-round NHL draft picks of all time. The Sharks' No. 205 selection of the 2003 draft went on to score 355 goals for the franchise, second only to Patrick Marleau for the most in San Jose history.

He served as captain for his last four seasons in San Jose, including during the Sharks' trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.

The veteran signed with the Stars in 2019. He once again served as a key producer during a trip to the Cup Final trip in 2020, then played a role in mentoring young Dallas stars like Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson during his next few years in Dallas.

Pavelski finished his career leading all U.S.-born skaters with 74 playoff goals as one of just 25 players to ever play in 200 postseason games. He is the only one of the group to reach the milestone without winning a Stanley Cup.

He also ranks 55th among all players in NHL history with 476 regular-season goals, and is one of just 18 players to accomplish the feat with two or fewer franchises.

Stars captain Jamie Benn said he could see Pavelski taking an NHL front office or coaching role in the future, per ESPN's Ryan S. Clark. Pavelski says he plans to focus on coaching his son in youth hockey for now, according to NHL.com.