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Joe Pavelski News & Rumors

Joe Pavelski thriving on San Jose Sharks' top line
November 3
San Jose Mercury News
 
"As the Sharks struggled to score goals during their slow start, Joe Pavelski said he was the wrong guy to ask about forward combinations and a potential move to the top line. "I just play," he said two weeks ago. And since then Pavelski has let the score sheet speak for itself. He's doing The Big Pavelski thing again as the NHL's hottest player -- racking up points in bunches and validating coach Todd McLellan's decision to pair him with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Pavelski tallied 11 points on the Sharks' just-completed 5-1 road trip. As San Jose (6-4) drops the puck on a six-game homestand starting with Pittsburgh on Thursday night at HP Pavilion, Pavelski leads the Sharks in"
Pavelski comes up big for Sharks
April 15
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"Joe Pavelski was at the end of his shift. A long shift. No. A looooooong shift. And he was at the other end of the rink. He figured a line change might be coming. But he looked up. He saw opportunity. Overtime opportunity. Pavelski did not see teammate Ryane Clowe create a turnover. Pavelski did see teammate Kyle Wellwood with the puck, holding onto it in the offensive zone, waiting for someone in a Sharks uniform to skate across the blue line. Pavelski did. Finally. "I obviously wasn't setting any speed records," he said. "I was checking behind me to see if anyone was going to catch me." No one was. A defenseman from the Los Angeles Kings had slipped and fallen. But would Wellwood see"
Pavelski's OT goal lifts Sharks over Kings, 3-2
April 15
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"It's the stuff rivalries are made of. Game 1 of the first-ever postseason meeting between the Sharks and Kings had it all: huge momentum swings, a rare playoff fight, a hit that caused an injury and had the home side fuming, an overtime period, and in the end, a familiar hero. Sharks center Joe Pavelski roofed a goal off a centering pass from Kyle Wellwood 14:44 into overtime to lift the Sharks to a 3-2 win in the first game of the first-round series in front of a sellout crowd at HP Pavilion on Thursday night. That's the same Joe Pavelski who became a household name even for non-hockey fans in the Bay Area last season when he scored a team-high 17 points in the playoffs. It was his third"
Sharks' Joe Pavelski getting scoring chances, but the puck isn't going in
November 11
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Pavelski had worked his way into an open patch of ice in front of the Anaheim goal, and Dany Heatley found him with a nifty pass from the corner. But instead of turning that into the winning goal late in overtime Tuesday night, Pavelski stumbled. And his weak shot was easily turned away by Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller. It has been that kind of season for Pavelski, who has personified the Sharks' frustrating start. Perhaps the center whose nickname was elevated from "Little Joe" to "The Big Pavelski" during a stellar postseason last spring deserves yet another moniker: "The Hard-Luck Kid." Hold off on that change, Pavelski countered. "There's no bad luck yet," he said. "I've had very"
Sharks name Joe Thornton their new team captain
October 7
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton will wear the "C" on his jersey this season after being named the eighth fulltime captain in Sharks history Thursday. Coach Todd McLellan disclosed his choice shortly after the team completed practice at the Globe Arena and one day before San Jose opens the 2010-11 season here Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thornton jokingly likened his new responsibilities to his becoming a first-time father this past summer: "I have to look after one kid at home and 22 on the road." McLellan also announced that Dan Boyle will wear a "permanent 'A' " on his jersey as a full-time assistant captain while Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe will share the other assistant position. Marleau"
Sharks give Marleau, Pavelski 4-year deals
June 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"On the eve of today's 2010 NHL draft that focuses on their future, the Sharks took care of their present. Patrick Marleau, the team's all-time leading scorer, and Joe Pavelski, whose 17 points in the playoffs led all Sharks this spring, reached agreement Thursday on four-year contract extensions that will keep them off the July 1 free-agent market. Marleau will receive $6.9 million each season and Pavelski will make $4 million — less than they likely would have earned elsewhere, but a price tag that fits into general manager Doug Wilson's plan to build a roster that once again will challenge for the Stanley Cup. "I don't think there's any doubt — and history has shown — that the"
New four-year contracts in place for Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski
June 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks general manager Doug Wilson got his wish. Ideally, he said earlier this week, he'd have new contracts for Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski before the draft and both players now have new four-year deals. Neither contract is front-end loaded and Marleau will earn $6.9 milion per season while Pavelski is making $4 million per season."
Sharks' Pavelski, Blackhawks' Burish won NCAA title together
May 19
San Jose Mercury News
 
"There has been nothing but benign static between Adam Burish and Joe Pavelski for the past week or so, total radio silence. Their only communication before Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, in fact, was a drive-by zinger or two in Game 1. No shock that Burish, the Chicago Blackhawks' chief agitator, delivered the barbs. No shock that Pavelski, a steady Sharks center, brushed them off. They are friends, former roommates and teammates on an NCAA championship team. Now, they're postseason sparks for opposing teams fixated on a Stanley Cup destiny. But one of these things is not like the other. "We're pretty complete opposite personalities," Burish said Tuesday before the Blackhawks'"
San Jose Sharks are Pavelski Cool in 2010 NHL playoffs
May 4
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"Behold: The Pavelski Atomic Ripple Effect. Instead of slumping around the ice and locker room with the weight of the franchise on his shoulders, these days Joe Thornton looks loose and thoroughly relieved. Hey, Thornton actually scored his first goal of the playoffs on Sunday! Miracles can happen. Instead of shrinking away from the full-tilt spotlight and all-encompassing pressure, Patrick Marleau gets to pop in and out of sight on his terms. No team should ever rely on Marleau in crunch time, and now the Sharks don't have to. Instead of taking a back seat to larger names, aggressive rising stars Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi seize the moment, rush the net, and liven up the mood. And at"
Sharks Joe Pavelski looking to stay hot in Detroit
May 4
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Maybe you can't stop Joe Pavelski. But the Detroit Red Wings sure hope they can start containing him. Pavelski has become the breakout star so far of these NHL playoffs. He has scored two goals in three consecutive games, and now in eight postseason games has totaled nine goals and five assists. He was all over the ice in Sunday's 4-3 victory in Game 2, peppering Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard with 11 shots — a Sharks playoff record. He had an assist in addition to his two goals. He also won 13 of 16 faceoffs. The Red Wings know that they need to slow Pavelski as well as his linemates, Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi. "He's playing well for them," Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We"
No ordinary Joes send Sharks to 2-0 series lead
May 3
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Cam Inman
"The Sharks exited Joe Pavelski Arena with a dazzling 2-0 series lead over the Detroit Red Wings. Next stop: Joe Louis Arena, where two improbable wins in Detroit could vault San Jose to a series sweep and into the Western Conference finals. Improbable? Yes. But so was the thought of Pavelski continuing to score at will in these playoffs. His two goals and one assist overshadowed Joe Thornton's game-winning goal Sunday night in the Sharks' 4-3, Game 2 win (at HP Pavilion, officially). When the "three stars" were honored after the game to the home crowd of 17,562, Thornton drew the first cheers, but the last were reserved for the Bay Area's hottest sports hero. Pavelski tied the score at 3"
Joe Pavelski scores twice to lead Sharks to victory over Detroit Red Wings
May 3
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Little Joe just took another stride toward becoming The Big Pavelski. Joe Pavelski scored twice on the power play to lead the Sharks to a 4-3 victory Sunday over the Detroit Red Wings and give San Jose a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal playoff series. His third consecutive two-goal performance gives him an NHL-leading nine goals for the postseason. His playoff feats have earned Pavelski the new nickname — a takeoff on the 1998 movie "The Big Lebowski" — and it's one the Sharks center can live with, albeit reluctantly. "My friends like it back home. lt's fun, whatever," Pavelski said. "The media likes to create that, but there's a lot of other guys contributing." True enough."
Coach, wife gave young Pavelski a home
May 2
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"I guess we have established that this spring Joe Pavelski is having the hockey time of his life. When the puck is on his stick, the Sharks are winning. And vice versa. In seven playoff games, Pavelski has scored seven goals. Applause has ensued. Along with many television highlights. But that's today. What about yesterday? Long ago, before Joe Pavelski became a Silicon Valley sports icon, he was just a teenage hockey player sitting in a recliner at the Iowa home of his coach, P.K. O'Handley. Which came as a major surprise to O'Handley. Because Pavelski did not have a key to the house. "My wife and I came home one day, and Joe was just sitting there in my chair," O'Handley remembered the"
'The Big Pavelski' is a modest dude
April 28
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Hockey reporters from across North America called in Tuesday to learn some more about the Sharks' big star. It wasn't Jumbo Joe, it was Little Joe, and they found out he doesn't come off as Joe Cool. Just Joe from Plover. That appears to be the way Joe Pavelski likes it. After a spotlight-grabbing first round against Colorado, the Sharks' second-line center tried to get back to playing second-hand rose. Pavelski managed to get through a 20-minute conference call without saying "I," spent the majority of his time defending teammates and even mixed in a nod to the Shark Tank fans. Even his approach to next round's opponent was telling. When asked about the game coming later Tuesday between"
Joe Pavelski in no mood to celebrate silver medal yet
March 3
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Pavelski not ready to celebrate silver Joe Pavelski wasn't ready to let himself feel good about Team USA's silver-medal finish in the Winter Olympics. "We've heard enough people say that it could have gone either way, that it was such an exciting game from a fan standpoint that it's tough to see anybody lose," the Sharks center said after Tuesday's morning skate. "But it's still one of those things. We lost. We didn't get it. "I don't think you really ever quite get over it," he added, "but we understand it was a significant achievement." Team USA wasn't favored to win any medal, but went 5-0 to reach the tournament's final game before suffering a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada. Overall,"
San Jose Sharks look for lessons from Olympic experience
March 3
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Gary Peterson
"You can't go to the Olympics without bringing home a present. Tuesday morning, after a short practice, five San Jose Sharks shared the best souvenirs money can't buy. "You haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face in 48 hours," said Joe Thornton, flashing the gold medal Canada won Sunday with an instant-classic overtime victory over Team USA. "I think the rest of the guys are about the same." Pause. "I'm not sure about Pavs." Laughter. Thornton, of course, was one of four Sharks (along with Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley and Dan Boyle) who played for victorious Canada. Joe Pavelski was the only San Jose player from the vanquished U.S. team. Two days after the game that catapulted the"
Sharks need to leave Olympics behind
March 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Evgeni Nabokov, above and below, had a game to forget, yielding six goals to Canada. Evgeni Nabokov thought about the Olympics, fell to his knees and wept hysterically for a good ten minutes. Yeah, sure he did. In the comfortable one-thing-always-leads-to-another world of the modern conspiracy theorist, whatever failings he might demonstrate in the Stanley Cup playoffs will be directly attributable to Nabokov's six-goal pummeling by the Canadians in the quarterfinals. In his world, well, let's put it this way: The Sharks' first goaltender was polite when asked if he worries about any lingering hangover from the Russian Olympic flameout, as the 7-3 loss to Canada can be fairly termed,"
Sharks' Pavelski named to U.S. Olympic team
January 2
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Forward Joe Pavelski was named to the roster of Team USA on Friday, becoming the eighth Shark chosen to compete for his national team in the 2010 Winter Olympics next month in Vancouver. "It was exciting," said Pavelski, a Wisconsin native who learned he would be on the team a few hours before the official announcement was made at the conclusion of the NHL's Winter Classic at Fenway Park. "You never really know until you get the call." Pavelski, 25, said players were given the green light to call family and close friends with the news. Team USA was the last of the national programs to announce its roster but added a nice dramatic touch. After the Boston Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers"
Sharks' Pavelski to miss a couple of weeks
October 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"That first Sharks victory of the season came at a price. Center Joe Pavelski won't be in the San Jose lineup tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Monday, he underwent what the team described only as a "minor procedure" to repair a foot injury that is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. "Pavs plays a huge role," coach Todd McLellan said shortly before the team flew to Southern California. The injury occurred at 2:30 of the first period Saturday night in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks were short-handed when Pavelski dropped to the ice and blocked a slap shot from the blue line by Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf. The puck appeared to hit Pavelski around the left"