San Jose Sharks: A final farewell to captain Joe Pavelski

The San Jose Sharks have bid their final farewell to longtime captain Joe Pavelski this offseason. After 13 seasons spent in teal, Pavelski has now departed via free agency.

Joe Pavelski was the captain of the San Jose Sharks not only in name, but in practice. He was the figurehead and leader of the Sharks franchise through both the good times and the bad.

Pavelski’s transformation from an unheralded seventh-round pick way back in 2003 to the true face of the franchise was nothing short of incredible to watch unfold. And now that his time in San Jose has come to an end, the final farewell isn’t any easier.

In many ways, Pavelski had been the heart and soul of the Sharks franchise long before he was every gifted the coveted “C” on his sweater by first-year head coach Peter DeBoer. Originally left in Joe Thornton‘s shadows upon his initial arrival, Pavelski was dubbed “Little Joe” by his peers.

But it didn’t take long for many to realize that he was more than just Thornton’s sidekick.

After 68 points throughout his first two seasons including an impressive rookie year, Pavelski exploded for 59 points in his third NHL season finally establishing himself as one of the top players on the team.

It was then when he began to break out of Thornton’s shadow. Suddenly, he wasn’t just a young player with potential. He was a legitimate core member of the roster.

Pavelski’s performance in the 2010 postseason helped solidify him as one of the most clutch players on the team and it wouldn’t be long before Sharks fans began to realize just how good he was.

But the rest of the NHL world never seemed to get it. They didn’t then, and they arguably still don’t now.

Pavelski was never the best skater nor was he the most physical. His shot was good, not great. His passing was, well, passable but nothing extraordinary. He didn’t stand out.

But that’s just what made Pavelski so endearing to the Sharks fanbase. He was never the most talented, naturally-gifted player on the ice. As an undersized seventh-round pick, Pavelski was never supposed to be this good.

But there he was scoring 30+ goals a season all while playing for a team that was a regular fixture in the postseason. You see, Pavelski didn’t win with natural talent alone — he won with his intelligence.

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Few will ever know the game of hockey as well as Pavelski has and still does. His knack for big-time goals and well-placed deflections is something that many players could only dream of.

That’s what made Pavelski so special on the ice. Not his shot, not his passing, and definitely not his skating. But his intellect.

On the ice, Pavelski was a hockey mastermind whose IQ and nose for the net remains matched by very few in NHL history. But off the ice, his veteran presence and leadership proved to be just as valuable to the Sharks franchise as his on-ice success.

Following a disastrous collapse in the 2014 postseason that seemed more like something out of an underdog Disney movie than real life, Thornton was stripped of his captaincy by general manager Doug Wilson.

In his place, four alternate captains were named — Pavelski among them.

But in reality, it was Pavelski who emerged as the team’s true captain. The writing had been on the wall for quite some time as Pavelski had begun to take more media appearances and carried himself with the professionalism required of a team captain.

It was Pavelski who helped lead the team out of its darkest period in quite a while. And it was once again Pavelski who was the spiritual leader when it came to his final playoff run with the team.

The infamous hit he took from Vegas Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin in that fateful Game 7 will forever remain one of the most incredible moments in Sharks history. Conversely, it remains the most infamous in the Golden Knights’ short lifespan.

We don’t need to recount the particular events, just the raw emotion and impact. Seeing their captain lying face down in a pool of his own blood, the Sharks rallied from behind in what was one of the most incredible moments in recent hockey history.

Pavelski’s return against the Colorado Avalanche provided even more awe-inspiring moments and his place in Sharks history was forever solidified during that playoff run.

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But now he’s gone.

Pavelski has given so much to this organization and meant so much for this franchise that the thought of seeing him in another jersey next season is nearly unfathomable. As is the thought of a San Jose Sharks team without him.

But that’s just the cruel reality of sports. Idols grow old and teams ultimately move on. But the legacies and memories forged by those idols are eternally entrenched in the collective minds of the fanbase that adored them for so many years.

Such is the case with Joe Pavelski.

Today, we bid farewell to a Sharks legend. From “Little Joe” to “Captain America,” Pavelski has graced the Sharks franchise with his presence for well over a decade and we, as fans, are eternally grateful.

Until we meet again with your No. 8 jersey hanging proudly in the columns of SAP Center, goodbye old friend.