Former Waterloo Black Hawk Joe Pavelski has officially taken his place among the greatest American players to ever play hockey.

Wednesday evening in St. Paul, he officially became an honored member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
 
"It's one of the most humbling and meaningful moments in my life," Pavelski told the attending crowd of dignitaries and supporters. "As a hockey player, I think you simply hope to play the game you love for as long as you can. This kind of recognition isn't something you ever assume is waiting down the road. And you really just hope to make your family proud, be a good teammate, and enjoy the ride."

The class of 2025 included Pavelski's San Jose teammate Scott Gomez, U.S. Olympic teammate Zach Parise, 1998 U.S. Women's Olympic gold medalist Tara Mounsey, and hockey photographer Bruce Bennett.

All of the honorees spoke about their origins in the game.

"When we were kids, my older brother would build a rink in the backyard every winter," Pavelski remembered, "and that outdoor rink really allowed a kid to fall in love with this great game."

In the larger hockey world, Pavelski will be remembered for his years in San Jose and with the Dallas Stars, plus accomplishments with U.S. National Teams at the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey.  However, Waterloo fans will always think of the Joe Pavelski they saw before the rest of American hockey knew his name: 2003 USHL Rookie of the Year, then captain of the 2004 Clark Cup Champion Black Hawks.

"Winning a Clark Cup championship in Waterloo and a national title at the University of Wisconsin remain two of the most special moments of my hockey career," Pavelski said, explaining further: "Not really just because of the titles, but just creating the bonds with the guys and I think the pride we felt wearing those jerseys and ultimately doing something special in your city that you're playing in and having that special connection with the fans."

Pavelski's United States Hockey Hall of Fame plaque was presented to him by 2004 inductee Phil Housley.

This is the text of that plaque, which will commemorate Pavelski forever at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota:

Known as one of the most consistent and clutch American players in NHL history, Joe Pavelski played in 1,332 NHL regular-season games with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars over 18 seasons.

A two-time Olympian, Pavelski helped the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and was also a member of Team USA for the 2014 Games.  He served as captain of the U.S. Men's National Team for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and skated for Team USA at the 2009 IIHF Men's World Championship.

Pavelski spent two seasons competing for the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks, leading the team to the 2004 Clark Cup and earning the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award.

After a stellar two-year stint at the University of Wisconsin that included helping the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA title, he joined the San Jose Sharks organization after being drafted 205th overall in the 2003 NHL Draft.  Pavelski first suited up for the club's AHL affiliate before being quickly called up to the NHL ranks, recording 28 points in 43 games during his rookie campaign.

The Plover, Wisconsin, native played in 963 games for the Sharks, finishing his tenure with the team third all-time in points (761) and second all-time in goals (355).  He also led San Jose to its first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Final in 2015-16 during his first season as the club's captain, recording 23 points (14 goals, 9 assists) in 24 playoff contests.

Pavelski moved on to play for the Dallas Stars in 2019-20 and made an immediate impact, helping Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final and contributing 13 goals and nine assists in 27 playoff games.  He continued to serve as a key contributor for the Stars for the next four seasons, leading the team to three more playoff appearances along the way.

Pavelski closed his NHL career fifth all-time among American-born players with 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games, including 476 goals and 592 assists.  His teams reached the playoffs in 16 of 18 NHL seasons and the forward played in 201 playoff contests with 143 points (74 goals, 69 assists).  His 74 playoff goals are the most all-time by and American-born player.

Pavelski and his wife Sarah have one son, Nate.

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