Joe Pavelski is enjoying retirement, he's also finally got his first "professional" golf victory
Catching up with the former San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars forward.
Joe Pavelski still watches a lot of NHL hockey.
When the Dallas Stars are on, he’s frequently tuning into games to watch many of his ex-teammates, particularly his former live-in-padawan Wyatt Johnston. If the Stars aren’t playing, and the schedule works out, he still keeps a close eye on the San Jose Sharks1.
“I definitely miss it, I think about it more now, just because of what’s coming up with the playoffs and stuff, but that’s normal,” Pavelski, now 40, said. “I’ll always probably miss it, but I made the right decision, it was time.”
That’s one of the big takeaways from talking to Pavelski, like I did on Thursday. He’s adjusting to a new normal, but he’s at peace with his decision and has enjoyed a new schedule for the first time, really, in his life2.
Pavelski is more involved coaching his son’s team, the 14U Madison Capitals, he’s more involved in his off-ice business ventures, and he’s also been able to add his first “professional” golf win.
This past weekend Pavelski won the celebrity division at the LPGA Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil finished second in the 51-player field, and Pavelski took home a $100,000 check for his winnings.
“These tournaments are invite-based and obviously it’s always been during the season, but I’ve watched that tournament before and was excited to get an invite,” Pavelski said. “It’s something that was kind of my radar later in my career, being able to play in that tournament when I no longer had an NHL schedule.”
For Pavelski that first win was something he’s been building up to in recent years. He’s been a summer fixture in the American Century Golf Championship, a pro-am held annually in Lake Tahoe, where Pavelski has finished second multiple times, including in 2024 behind ex-Tennis pro Mardy Fish3.
“When you play those things, and you finally win one, you realize how much it means,” Pavelski said. “They’re tough, there’s a lot of good players and it gets you a different feeling on the course, the nerves actually pop up when you are playing and trying to win on the last day, honestly, it felt great to finally get one done.”
Pavelski is humble about his golf game, when I did a story on his golfing prowess for D Magazine in August of 2023 I had to get others to share more explicit details about just how good Pavelski is on the course4.
But Pavelski, who has a plus-1 handicap, isn’t shy now about his want to win more tournaments.
In 2025 he’s planning on entering the American Century Golf Championship again, with eyes on winning it. Pavelski is also entering the Drive Fore Kids celebrity tournament in Portland, Maine5 and the Pro Rivals Golf series, which features other former professional athletes from other sports.
For someone who is subtle about their long-term golf goals, Pavelski isn’t shy about signing up for as much competition as possible.
From a hockey perspective, Pavelski seems pretty content with how life has gone. Coaching Nate’s team has become a priority, and drive a bit of his competitive spirit — Pavelski pointed out the current quest for 14U Madison Capitals to reach the USA Hockey national tournament this spring — and while he effectively has an open offer from the Stars to work their some day, he’s not rushing to ask Jim Nill for a job6 in hockey operations. He’s also getting his hockey fix occasionally talking to close friends that run the Madison Capitals USHL team.
“Lots of place to talk and watch hockey up here, if you want to find it you can find any day of the week,” Pavelski said. “So that’s been kind of a nice connection point, but it’s been really nice to sit back, and I don’t want to say life is easier, but be able to enjoy things a bit after playing for so long.”
Who, I imagine, will likely retire his No. 8 at some point, right?
Consider Pavelski hasn’t had a “normal” schedule since he was playing high school hockey at Stevens Point Area High School in Wisconsin during the 2001-02 season.
Pavelski has been chasing Fish in this tournament for years. In 2024 he finished third behind Fish and Tony Romo, in 2022 he finished second behind Fish.
Here’s a great example from that story:
It was 2003 or 2004—the year doesn’t matter much—and Joe Pavelski and Matt Fornataro were teenagers playing golf with Waterloo Black Hawks teammates at Sunnyside Golf and Country Club in Waterloo, Iowa. It was a close match, Fornataro recalls: back and forth, with plenty of smack talk.
“Then the final three holes, Joe just went silent,” Fornataro says of his childhood friend. “The assassin came out.”
Pavelski birdied the 422-yard par-four 16th.
He did the same on the 202-yard par-three 17th.
Finally, the 368-yard par-four 18th.
Another birdie.
“It was just dart, birdie. Dart, birdie. Dart, birdie,” Fornataro remembers. “Then he just turned and flashed that classic Pavs smile.”
This is historically held in June, which made it a non-starter for someone who was hoping to be in the Stanley Cup Final in June in his prior career.
Someone close to Pavelski once wondered aloud to me if that Pavelski would completely remove himself from hockey once Nate was done playing, at that point turning fully to golf and his other endeavors.
Great to hear about Pavs!!!
Thanks!