Joe Pavelski officially announces retirement after elimination by Oilers

Pavelski said that this season will be his last, and his plan is not to play next season, but still shied away from saying it's an official retirement. Just a day removed from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's likely still stinging for Pavelski that his career ended with a loss.

The 39 year old Pavelski will go down as one of the greatest American players of all time. Pavelski played 1332 games with only the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, leading both teams through multiple long playoff runs and to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. He scored 476 goals and 1068 points, and was productive even in his last season this year, scoring 27 goals in 82 games.

After the Oilers eliminated the Stars in Game 6 and Pavelski's retirement seemed likely, several Stars veterans got emotional in their press conferences speaking about his impact on the team. Unfortunately, they couldn't give Pavelski a Stanley Cup in the final year of his career, despite their best efforts.

If you weren't cheering for the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final, Joe Pavelski in his final quest for the Cup was a great reason to cheer for the Dallas Stars. It's always emotional to see a respected vet go out without a Stanley Cup, but then again, it's known as the hardest trophy to win in sports.