Joe Pavelski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Pavelski |
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Pavelski (right) with the San Jose Sharks in February 2010
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| Born | July 11, 1984 Plover, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | San Jose Sharks Dinamo Minsk Dallas Stars |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 205th overall, 2003 San Jose Sharks |
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| Playing career | 2006–2024 | ||
Joe Pavelski (born July 11, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played for 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His teams were the San Jose Sharks and the Dallas Stars.
Pavelski went to the University of Wisconsin. He played for their ice hockey team, the Badgers. The Sharks picked him in the 2003 NHL draft. He was the 205th player chosen overall.
He spent 13 years with the Sharks. He was even their captain for his last four years there. Many people think he is one of the best Sharks players ever. He led the team to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2016. After leaving the Sharks, he played five seasons with the Dallas Stars. He reached the Finals again with them in 2020.
People called him "Little Joe" and "Captain America." Pavelski scored a goal in his very first NHL game. He was only the 11th Sharks player to do this. He holds the record for the most playoff goals by an American-born player, with 74 goals.
Joe also played for the United States men's national ice hockey team. He won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was also the captain for Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.
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Joe Pavelski's Early Life
Joe Pavelski was born in Plover, Wisconsin. His parents are Sandy and Mike Pavelski. He has three brothers and sisters: Jerry, Sheri, and Scott. His family comes from Poland. Their last name used to be spelled Pawelski.
His mother said that Joe loved all sports. Hockey was a great fit for him in the winter. She didn't realize how good he was at first. His younger brother, Scott, also played college hockey. He played for the University of New Hampshire.
Playing Hockey: Amateur Years
Joe Pavelski won a Wisconsin State Hockey Championship in 2002. This was with his high school team, the SPASH Panthers. He also played for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL. His team won the Clark Cup in 2004. He also won the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award that year.
Pavelski then played college hockey for the University of Wisconsin. He played for two seasons, from 2004 to 2006. He scored 101 points in 84 games. He was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team in 2005. He also made the All-WCHA Second Team. He helped Wisconsin win the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship. He was the top scorer for his team that season.
Playing Hockey: Professional Career
San Jose Sharks (2006–2019)
Pavelski started his NHL career in the 2006–07 season. He had a great start, scoring a goal in his first game. He scored 7 goals and 10 points in his first 12 games. Sharks announcer Randy Hahn gave him the nickname "Little Joe." This was because his teammate, Joe Thornton, was called "Jumbo Joe."
In the 2007–08 season, Pavelski became a regular player for the Sharks. He played in all 82 regular season games. He was one of the team's best young players. He was also very good at shootouts, scoring 7 times out of 11 tries. In the 2008 playoffs, he led the team in goals. He also had three game-winning goals.
Pavelski had another strong season in 2008–09. He played 80 games and scored 25 goals and 34 assists. These were his best numbers at the time.
During the 2010 playoffs, Pavelski scored two or more goals in three games in a row. He was the first player to do this since Mario Lemieux in 1992. This helped the Sharks win all three games. After this, he also got the nickname "The Big Pavelski."
In 2013, during an NHL player lockout, Pavelski played in Belarus. He joined the team Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
On July 30, 2013, Pavelski signed a new five-year contract with the Sharks. On March 11, 2014, he scored his 400th career NHL point. That season, he scored a career-high 41 goals and 79 points.
In the 2014–15 season, Pavelski had another good year. He scored 70 points. He was also named one of the Sharks' alternate captains. On October 5, 2015, Pavelski became the Sharks' ninth captain in history.
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In the 2015–16 regular season, Pavelski scored 78 points. He was chosen for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game. He finished fifth in the NHL in goals. He also led the league in game-winning goals. Pavelski led the Sharks to their first ever Stanley Cup Finals in the 2016 playoffs. He scored 14 goals in the playoffs, leading all players.
On December 1, 2017, Pavelski scored his 300th NHL goal. He was only the second Sharks player to reach 300 goals with the team.
On April 23, 2019, during the 2019 playoffs, Pavelski got hurt. A player from the Vegas Golden Knights hit him. Then, he accidentally crashed into another player and fell awkwardly. He had to leave the game. The Sharks then scored four goals in five minutes. They won the game in overtime and moved on to the next round.
Dallas Stars (2019–2024)
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On July 1, 2019, Pavelski signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars. On August 16, 2020, in the 2020 playoffs, Pavelski scored three goals in one game. This was the first playoff hat-trick for the Stars since they moved from Minnesota.
On September 26, 2020, in Game 5 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, Pavelski scored his 61st playoff goal. This made him the all-time playoff goal scorer for an American-born player. The Stars lost the series 4-2.
Pavelski became an alternate captain for the Stars in the 2021–22 season. He played on the team's top line with younger players Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. This line was called "Pavelski and Sons" because of the age difference. On November 26, 2021, he scored his 400th NHL goal. He was the tenth American-born player to do this. On March 11, 2022, the Stars signed Pavelski for another year.
He had a very good season in 2021–22. He scored 27 goals and 54 assists for a career-best 81 points. He played in all 82 games.
On January 1, 2023, the Stars signed Pavelski for another year. On April 10, 2023, Pavelski scored his 1,000th career point. This happened in a 6–1 win against the Detroit Red Wings.
After the Stars were out of the 2024 playoffs, Pavelski said he planned to retire. On July 16, 2024, after his 40th birthday, he officially announced his retirement from hockey.
International Play for Team USA
 Pavelski (#16) and Ryan Callahan (#24) playing against Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics. |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  United States |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 2010 Vancouver | Team |
On January 1, 2010, Pavelski was chosen for the 2010 USA Olympic team. He was the only USA player from the San Jose Sharks. He had three assists as the team won a silver medal. He was also very good at winning faceoffs. In the last seconds of the gold medal game, Pavelski won a faceoff. This helped set up the play that tied the game with 24 seconds left. USA general manager Brian Burke nicknamed him "Swiss Army Knife."
On January 1, 2014, Pavelski was chosen for the 2014 USA Olympic team. This was his second time at the Olympics. He was named captain of Team USA for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. This earned him the nickname "Captain America."
Joe Pavelski's Personal Life
Joe Pavelski and his wife have one son. He is also a part-owner of the Janesville Jets. This is a hockey team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
Career Statistics Summary
Joe Pavelski played in 1,332 NHL regular season games. He scored 476 goals and had 592 assists, for a total of 1,068 points. In the playoffs, he played 201 games, scoring 74 goals and 69 assists for 143 points.
For the United States national team, he played in 20 games. He scored 3 goals and had 9 assists for 12 points.
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year | |
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| College | ||
| All-WCHA Rookie Team | 2004–05 | |
| All-WCHA Second team | 2005–06 | |
| AHCA West second-team All-American | 2005–06 | |
| NHL | ||
| Second All-Star team | 2014 | |
| NHL All-Star | 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 | |
Records
- Most playoff goals by an American-born player – 74
Images for kids
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Pavelski (right) with the San Jose Sharks in February 2010
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Pavelski during a game in the 2007–08 season.
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Pavelski in December 2016.
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Pavelski (left) battles with Jared McCann of the Seattle Kraken during a playoff game in 2023.
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Pavelski (#16) and Ryan Callahan (#24) playing against Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
See also
In Spanish: Joe Pavelski para niños
