Joe Pavelski highlighted these two career moments in social media retirement post

Joe Pavelski may have made his retirement from the NHL official on July 16, but it was Monday that hockey fans were treated to a heartfelt farewell from the man himself — as well as two moments from his 18-year NHL career that stand out in his mind.

"There are two that stand out as favorites in my playing career, and funny enough, they both started with me getting knocked out," the four-time All-Star wrote Monday in an Instagram post.

San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars fans are familiar with these two instances, both of which happened during playoff games. In 2023, a hit from Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba took Pavelski out of a Stars playoff game. Then, of course, there was a cross-check by Cody Eakin in Game 7 during the 2019 playoffs that fueled the Sharks to score four goals in four minutes en route to a massive Game 7 win against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Pavelski recounts how both instances showed how much his teammates and the fan bases he played in front of had his back.

"It was moments like these that deepened my understanding of what the hockey fan and player are all about, thriving on the miraculous and unlikely stories like these that keep up coming back for more," he wrote.

Hits aside, Pavelski thanked family, fans and former teammates for making his career a memorable one.

"For the last 18 years, I have felt like one of the lucky ones," Pavelski wrote. "I was able to make my childhood dream come true playing in the NHL for two great franchises -- the first with San Jose and then with Dallas -- surrounded by some of the best people the hockey world has to offer. My time in those cities allowed me to build deep connections with both fanbases, and that connection gave me the added fuel I needed to live up to the expectations I set for myself."

The Plover, Wisconsin native, who was selected by San Jose in the seventh round (No. 205) of the 2003 NHL Draft, ends his career with 1,068 points (476 goals, 592 assists) in 1,332 regular-season games for the Sharks and the Stars.

Pavelski played 13 seasons in San Jose, serving as captain from 2015 to 2019. He ranks second in Sharks franchise history in goals (355), third in points (761) and games (1,104) and fourth in assists (406).