NHL veteran reveals Sharks GM contacted him to pair up with Macklin Celebrini before retirement decision

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jul 17, 2024 17:22 GMT

In an interview on NHL Network Radio's NHL Morning Skate with Scott Laughlin, NHL player Joe Pavelski discussed his talks with San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier and his retirement plans. Pavelski, who spent 13 seasons with the Sharks, mentioned Grier contacting him about a potential return to mentor Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks' top pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

"I've talked to Mike (Grier) a little bit," Pavelski said. "They look like they are turning a corner with some of their draft picks and some of the guys they brought in. Just 13 great years in San Jose. [It is] a special place. It will always be where we got the start. There will always be a part of me there."

Macklin Celebrini, a promising center from Boston University, was selected first overall by the Sharks on June 28. Celebrini, 6 feet 197 pound Foward, is only the second player from Boston University to be chosen first overall, a milestone for the Terriers.

Following the Dallas Stars' playoff exit, Joe Pavelski, now 40, confirmed he won't play next season but had not decided about his long-term plans. Despite the possibility of returning to play with Celebrini, Pavelski has now announced his decision to retire.

"I'm sticking to that plan. There's no plan to play," Pavelski clarified. "I didn't want to use the r-word, I guess, right away just for the fact that there isn't, you know, nothing set in stone, but that is the plan. That's why we're not playing."

"I wanted just a little bit extra time to think about it. I was pretty comfortable with that plan then, so I didn't want to keep people, you know, hanging and thinking and talking about certain things." He added,

---

NHL veteran Joe Pavelski confirmed his retirement but kept other options open

Joe Pavelski played 18 seasons in the NHL split between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. Pavelski talked about his time with the Sharks but is comfortable retiring his skates.

"It's a pretty clear outlook, you know, over the last month, we've given it some more thought and We'll get something out probably a little bit more official here some, at some point, but, yeah, it's just a great time for us right now as a family, as a career." Pavelski said.

Selected by the San Jose Sharks in 2003, Pavelski accumulated 1,068 points (476 goals, 592 assists) in 1,332 regular-season games split between the Stars and Sharks. His 13 seasons in San Jose saw him rank second in team history for goals (355), third in points (761) and games (1,104), and fourth in assists (406).

"You know, I think I'm ready to step away from the game and, you know, on the playing side of things and go from there." He added,

Joe Pavelski's performance was better in playoffs where he scored 143 points (74 goals, 69 assists) in 201 games. He earned four All-Star selections, including a spot on the NHL Second All-Star team in 2013-14.