As the Dallas Stars get ready to take on the Florida Panthers this evening, Joe Pavelski will be gearing up for his 1000th career game in the National Hockey League. Pavelski will become the 338th player in league history to reach the 1000-game marker.
Much like guys such as Pavel Datysuk and Henrik Zetterberg, Pavelski is a rare late-round draft pick that has went onto have a successful NHL career. He was taken 205th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2003 entry draft.
He spent 13 seasons in San Jose, and served as team captain from 2015-2019. In his time in San Jose, Pavelski helped the Sharks to a Presidents Trophy (2008-09), three Conference Finals appearances (2010, 2011, 2019), and one Stanley Cup Final appearance (2016).
There is no doubt that he is one of the best to ever wear a Sharks jersey, and his stats back it up. He sits third in Sharks franchise history in points (761), assists (406), and he is second all-time in goals (355).
This past off season, Pavelski left the Sharks, in hopes of joining a cup contender. He signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars, who are currently third in the Central Division, and look to be well on their way to the playoffs. In 36 games with Dallas this season, he has 7 goals and 15 points.
He has recorded 362 goals and 776 points so far in his career, as well as being named an NHL all-star three times in his career (2016, 2017, 2019).
On top of having an impressive career, the 35-year old has also represented the United States in international play on four separate occasions, playing in the World Championships (1x), the Olympics (2x), and the World Cup of Hockey (1x).
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