Pavelski Named To Olympic Team
January 1, 2010 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release
Waterloo, Iowa-San Jose Sharks forward and former Waterloo Black Hawk Joe Pavelski has earned a spot on the United States roster for the 2010 Olympic Men's Hockey tournament in Vancouver, USA Hockey announced Friday.
Pavelski is one of four former Hawks currently playing in the NHL. From 2002 through 2004, he skated in Waterloo, leading the team to a Clark Cup championship. Last winter the Black Hawks honored his contributions to the franchise by retiring his number "8."
"It is a thrill for us to see Joe accomplish something he has really wanted for a long time," said Pavelski's former coach P.K. O'Handley. Waterloo's Head Coach and General Manager continued, "Joe has been a great addition to the Black Hawks, the Badgers, and the Sharks as he has advanced in his career. I know he will be a valuable part of Team USA."
As a rookie in 2002-2003, Pavelski led the Black Hawks with 69 points (36 goals and 33 assists) in 60 regular season games. Waterloo set a franchise record with 38 wins that year, and the Plover, Wisconsin native was named to the All-USHL First Team. A season later, he paced the Hawks with 21 goals and was second on the club with 52 points. Pavelski added twelve more points in the 2004 Clark Cup playoffs, helping to bring a Tier I National Championship to Waterloo. He was honored as the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year.
The next fall, Pavelski was in Madison for the first of two seasons playing for the Wisconsin Badgers. He led Wisconsin in scoring both years, compiling career NCAA numbers of 39 goals, 62 assists, and 101 total points in 84 games. The Badgers were national champions in 2006. The 2006-2007 season found Pavelski embarking on a professional career. He spent less than two months in the minor leagues before being recalled by the San Jose Sharks. He has appeared in 234 NHL games in four seasons, scoring 67 goals and 148 points. Last spring, Pavelski played for Team USA in the 2009 World Championships in Switzerland, notching a goal and an assist in five games.
Pavelski is the fifth player in Black Hawks franchise history to participate in the Olympics. Paul Johnson and Charlie Brown were members of the national team before coming to Waterloo. Johnson won a gold medal at the 1960 games, then returned to the Olympics in 1964. Brown won silver with the U.S. team at the 1972 games. Since transitioning to junior hockey, alumni Peter Ferraro and Jason Blake were selected for Olympic teams after playing for the Black Hawks. Ferraro was an Olympian in 1994, while Blake earned the honor in 2006.
United States Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2010
- U.S. Nat'l U18 Team Downs Sioux Falls, 4-2 - U.S. National Team
- Pavelski Named To Olympic Team - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Storm Drop Final Game of 2009, 4-2 - Tri-City Storm
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