Let’s be honest: Joe Pavelski is old for an NHL player. At 40 years old — turning 41 this July — he’s skating alongside teammates who were still watching Blue’s Clues when he debuted in the league.
But here’s the kicker: he’s still one of the best players on the Dallas Stars.
Pavelski joined the NHL in 2006. Back then, the iPhone didn’t exist, TikTok was just the sound a clock made, and Logan Stankoven — the Stars’ 22-year-old rookie — was in preschool. Yet somehow, Pavelski is still putting up points, still playing on the top line, and still showing the kids how it’s done.
His linemates Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson may have fresher legs, but Pavelski’s hockey IQ and positioning continue to make him a critical piece of the Stars’ playoff push. The guy doesn’t just know where the puck is going — he knows where your next mistake is going to be.
Despite the growing age gap in the locker room, Pavelski hasn’t missed a beat. He’s logging top-line minutes, contributing on the power play, and calmly keeping the team glued together like the hockey dad Dallas didn’t know it needed.
While some of his teammates are just getting their first cars or apartments, Pavelski is racking up career milestones and playoff appearances. If there were a hockey version of AARP, Joe Pavelski would already be its spokesperson — and he’d still be scoring 20 goals a season.
Whether this season ends with a deep playoff run or just another chance for Pavelski to skate literal circles around guys half his age, one thing’s for sure: age might be a number, but Joe Pavelski is a whole hockey algorithm.