Friday was probably a weird night for Joe Pavelski.
After previously spending his entire 13-season career with the San Jose Sharks — four of which as the team’s captain — the veteran forward hit the 1,000 NHL game milestone this season while playing for the Dallas Stars.
So Pavelski was happy to see some old faces like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau on the jumbotron last Friday when the Stars honored his milestone achievement:
“Seeing old teammates and different teammates send little messages, it’s a fun night,” Pavelski said. “It’s on your mind a little bit more than you think it would be. It was just a fun day all around, and awesome to have a lot of friends and family here today to share it with.”
Changing teams for the first time in so long is a hard adjustment, but Pavelski has gotten used to wearing victory green after half a season. And it helps that this season has provided many opportunities — such as the Winter Classic — to spend ample time with his son, Nate:
“We’ve had some pretty cool moments,” Pavelski said. “Now that he’s 9, he understands a lot of it. He’s calling guys by their nicknames and has fun. He’s definitely feeling comfortable, and everyone has just made our transition easy as far as feeling welcome and feeling at home.”
You can read more from Mike Heika here.
Stars Stories
Missed Friday’s win? Here are some photos from the pre-game ceremony:
Check out all the photos as the Stars honored Joe Pavelski’s 1,000 NHL games. #GoStars https://t.co/j7eY3UPeTB
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 4, 2020
Is it just me or does December feel like ages ago?
We had some big moments in the final month of 2019. Vote for your favorite @Bridgestone Clutch Performance of December! #GoStars
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 5, 2020
Around the League
A few Central teams took the ice last night, with some mixed results:
- The Chicago Blackhawks nabbed a 4-2 victory, but then again it was against the Detroit Red Wings… [Second City Hockey]
- Elsewhere, the Minnesota Wild fell to the Calgary Flames in a 5-4 shootout loss that went to seven rounds. [NHL]
- Finally, the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks also went to shootout. The Ducks won it 5-4 in the fifth round. [NHL]/
Canada won the World Juniors this year, which means it must be an important/relevant event again in contrast to last year:
🚨GOLD MEDAL ALERT🚨#TeamCanada🇨🇦 is your #WorldJuniors Champions after a major comeback to defeat Russia 4-3 👏 pic.twitter.com/p7HmUeBfAx
— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) January 5, 2020
Speaking of international hockey tournaments, the IIHF would like to know about the NHL’s Olympic plans sooner rather than later:
“We would like to have a decision as early as possible if they’re coming to Beijing — ‘Yes’ or ‘No,”’ @IIHFHockey president Rene Fasel wants a thumbs up or thumbs down from Gary Bettman on whether the NHL will go to the Olympics by the end of August.https://t.co/eNU6kRsTmG
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 5, 2020
Alex Ovechkin talks about what it’s like being a NHL team captain in a short Q&A for The Athletic:
Remember when everyone said the Capitals couldn’t win with Alex Ovechkin as captain?
Well, 10 years after he first put on the “C”, Ovi has some words for his doubters.@Tarik_ElBashir | https://t.co/Qp9B0YHxlT
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) January 4, 2020
Finally, sad the weekend is over? Procrastinate work just a little longer with this read on Elias Pettersson:
Big Read: What @Canucks star Elias Pettersson learned from the loss of his closest childhood friends — and the fight to get them back. (@ByDavidSingh)https://t.co/kaaNg5QqN6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 5, 2020