Joe Pavelski

Joseph James Pavelski (born July 11, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. Pavelski attended the University of Wisconsin and played for the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team. He was subsequently drafted 205th overall in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL entry draft by the Sharks, with whom he spent the first thirteen years of his NHL career, additionally serving as captain during his final four years with the team. He is often regarded as one of the greatest Sharks of all time, having led the team to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2016. After departing in free agency, he spent the final five seasons of his career in Dallas, with whom he made the Finals again in 2020. Nicknamed "Little Joe" and "Captain America", Pavelski scored a goal in his first NHL game, making him the 11th Sharks player in the history of the team to do so. He holds the record for most playoff goals by an American-born player, with 74. Internationally, Pavelski won a silver medal as a member of the United States men's national ice hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He also served as captain of Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.