Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars is to retire after 1,533 games in 18 NHL seasons.

FRISCO, TX (AP) Joe Pavelski has announced that he would no longer play in the NHL after 1,533 games over 18 seasons and never been able to raise the Stanley Cup. “This was it for me, like it had been known for a while probably,” Pavelski said Tuesday, two days after the Dallas Stars lost Game 6 of the Western Conference final for the second year in a row. Pavelski, who recently finished his fifth season with the Stars and turns 40 next month, said he was still decompressing and processing the emotions that come with the end of a season.

“I don’t want to say this is official, but the idea isn’t to come back. “There will be more on that,” Pavelski added. “Everything’s still fresh, as if nothing is official. There will be more words, and I’ll need some time to put it all together and sort it out.” The Wisconsin native, whose 74 playoff goals were the most by a U.S.-born player and among active players, was nearing the end of his tenure with the Stars. In his first season with Dallas in 2020, he advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, as he did with San Jose in 2016.

“Consume pro.” “Working with him was the highlight of my coaching career,” said coach Pete DeBoer, who had Pavelski as captain in San Jose for four years before joining the Stars two years ago. “I’m so glad I got the opportunity to come back and do it again after San Jose.” Pavelski was selected 205th overall in the seventh round by the Sharks in the 2003 draft. He made his NHL debut in 2006-07 and went on to record 476 goals and 592 assists in 1,332 regular-season games. This season, he finished sixth among active players in goals and seventh in points (1,068).

Last Monday, Pavelski became the 25th player to appear in 200 postseason games, with 201. He is the only member of that group without a Cup title. He scored one goal in 19 postseason games.

The Stars were the Western Conference’s top seed in the playoffs this season. After advancing through the first two rounds against the previous two Stanley Cup champions, Vegas and Colorado, their season came to an end with a 2-1 setback Sunday night in Edmonton. “Couldn’t ask for a better opportunity, a better group of guys to be around,” Pavelski stated. “There’s been a lot of different emotions down the stretch.” Wyatt Johnston, the 21-year-old forward who was the Stars’ top scorer this season, lived with Pavelski and his family during his first two NHL seasons.

“There’s so much that I’ve learned from him, and can’t thank him and his family enough for what they’ve done for me,” Johnston stated. “He has had a significant impact on more people than simply me. It is everyone; he represents the entire organization.” When asked how long he had known this would likely Pavelski’s final season, Johnston said he didn’t know exactly, “but living around the house, you kind of get to know.” It definitely makes us want to win even more for him.”

Pavelski said that he and his family would be returning to Wisconsin. After 13 seasons with the Sharks, Pavelski was unable to reach an agreement to remain in San Jose and instead signed a $21 million, three-year contract with the Stars in the summer of 2019. He has since signed consecutive one-year contracts and will make $5.5 million this season, including a $3.5 million basic pay and game-play bonuses. He played in all 302 regular-season games for Dallas during the last four seasons.

“I don’t think it will really sink in until next year when we come back for camp and he isn’t there,” goalie Jake Oettinger said. “I just don’t think there’s enough words to say how big of a presence he is, and it’s not a hole you’ll ever be able to fill.” After missing two weeks in concussion protocol during last year’s playoffs, Pavelski returned in Game 1 of the second round and became the oldest player in NHL playoff history to score four goals, matching the Stars’ playoff record. That spectacular performance, which included two goals in the third period to force overtime, occurred in a 5-4 loss to Seattle.

Pavelski had missed the last five games of the first-round series against Minnesota after being hit hard and smacking his head on the ice in Game 1.