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Stars Forward Pens Emotional Retirement Message

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski officially calls it a career after 18 NHL seasons.

Jon Alfano

Feb 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (16) before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (16) before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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After weeks of speculation, Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski officially announced his retirement after 18 NHL seasons.

Pavelski, who turned 40 earlier this month, finishes his career with 1,068 points (476 goals, 592 assists) in 1,332 games. He's also one of the most respected leaders in the league as a former captain of the San Jose Sharks and alternate captain for the Stars. For a seventh-round pick in the legendary 2003 NHL Draft, Pavelski has forged an incredible career for himself.

The former All-Star forward took to social media on Monday to officially say goodbye, penning an emotional farewell letter to the game.

“For the last 18 years, I have felt like one of the lucky ones," Pavelski writes. "I was able to make my childhood dream come true playing in the NHL with two great franchises — first with San Jose and then with Dallas — surrounded by some of the best people the hockey world has to offer,” Pavelski wrote.

“My time in those cities allowed me to build deep connections with both fanbases, and that connection gave me the added fuel I needed to live up to the expectations I had set for myself.”

Pavelski then went on to name two of his favorite moments in the NHL, which both began with him "getting knocked out." The first came with San Jose during a 2019 playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the second came with Dallas during a 2023 series against the Minnesota Wild. In both instances, Pavelski's teammates rallied around him and allowed him to make a triumphant return later in the postseason.

"It was moments like these that deepened my understanding of what the hockey fan and player are all about, thriving on the miraculous and unlikely stories like these that keep us coming back for more," Pavelski writes.

Unfortunately, Pavelski ends his illustrious career without a Stanley Cup, being the only player with 200 or more playoff games to not win a championship. Still, Pavelski has so much to be proud of as he hangs up his skates.

"I guess the theme is, my career was made better not by individual achievements, but by all the people who I got to share it with," Pavelski writes. "Some of you I will get to thank in person, but for others, this is the only way I can do it. So, thank you to everyone who went on this journey with me.

"Always a hockey guy, and forever grateful..."

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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