If you watched even one game of the Stanley Cup Finals, you almost certainly heard about the impact Joe Pavelski had on Tomas Hertl through a simple phone call. The Sharks legend, also a former Dallas Stars player later in his career, emerged as a candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs head coaching job over the summer. It seemed like only a matter of time until Joe Pavelski's coaching career launched. Now, the 18-year pro is returning to his alma mater.
The Wisconsin Badgers announced the hiring of Pavelski on Thursday. Pavelski joins Mike Hastings' staff along with incoming hires Andy Brandt and Steve Briere. Both Pavelski and Brandt both have deep ties to Wisconsin hockey.
Pavelski joins Wisconsin as the Director of Player Development. It's a big moment for the 18-year NHL veteran forward. Pavelski, who eclipsed the 1000-point mark in his NHL career, is a Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame member and the leading scorer from the 2006 national championship team. He's the all-time points leader among former Wisconsin players in NHL history.
His resume is sterling. There's no arguing against what Pavelski accomplished as a player. He excelled at every level, including playing twice as a U.S. Olympian on the international stage (2010 and 2014). NHL brass obviously saw something they liked in Pavelski. Toronto seemed to be considering him as an outside-the-box hire akin to Montreal 's hiring of Martin St. Louis in 2022. Regardless, it's clear that at least some in the industry hold Pavelski in high regard. Consequently, if his smart play and leadership translate to the bench, Joe Pavelski's coaching career could be exceptional.
The question is just how high Pavelski's aspirations are. Was the Toronto interview a foreshadowing of a future NHL job? Or is Pavelski turning to Wisconsin with a longer-term view? Wisconsin included several comments from Pavelski in its release.
"I'm excited to help out at Wisconsin, a place that's close to my heart. Growing up in the state and being a Badger fan, then being able to spend two years winning a national title for the Badgers, it was such a big stepping-stone in my career. I learned so much in how to train and how to be a professional."
If NHL teams are already interviewing Pavelski, it seems pretty likely that his path to the NHL won't be full of obstacles. Still, if his ultimate goal is to land an NHL head coaching job, this is a good start. There's a fairly robust pipeline between NCAA assistant coaches and professional coaching jobs, even if it's not immediately a head coaching job. As a result, this should be a good start for Joe Pavelski's coaching career.
The next step after this role would likely need to be somewhere on a bench, at least at a higher level than the 15U AAA league in Wisconsin. Montreal and Toronto aside, most teams likely would feel more comfortable hiring him if he had some additional experience on a bench at a higher level. Still, his background as a captain and Olympian will likely fast-track him some.
Wisconsin lost last season in the Frozen Four, ultimately losing to the eventual national champion Denver Pioneers. Pavelski now has the opportunity to work with multiple NHL-track prospects, including Ottawa Senators defense prospect Logan Hensler. The Senators drafted the American-born Hensler 23rd overall in 2025.
Wisconsin's season opens at home on Oct. 2 versus Robert Morris.
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