Joe Pavelski Injury Update: Timeline of Dallas Stars forward's recovery and expected return date

Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski suffered a scary injury during Game 1 of the team's playoff series against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night. Pavelski took a massive hit from Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, which left him wobbly and unable to continue playing.

Although Dumba was initially being reviewed for a five-minute major penalty, he was ultimately only given a two-minute minor for roughing. Pavelski's injury occurred midway through the second period, and while he was helped off the ice by his teammates, he appeared to hit his head on the ice after the hit.

Joe Pavelski, who is 38 years old, logged one assist and two penalty minutes in just over 10 minutes of ice time before being injured. His status for the remainder of the playoff series is currently doubtful, and he is not expected to play in Game 2 on Wednesday.

After Pavelski was injured, his teammate Max Domi went after Dumba and threw a couple of hard punches. The two players ended up in a pile on the ice, along with referees and Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov. Domi was ultimately given a 10-minute misconduct penalty for his actions.

The Stars will undoubtedly miss Joe Pavelski's presence on the ice, as he is a key player for the team. However, they will need to find a way to rally without him if he is unable to return to the series. Fans will be eagerly watching for updates on Pavelski's condition, and hoping for a speedy recovery for the veteran player.

Joe Pavelski's Milestones in the NHL

Joe Pavelski has made a significant impact in the NHL. Pavelski led the Dallas Stars and was second among all players with 13 playoff goals in 2020, passing Maurice Richard for the most goals scored in a playoff year by a player 34 or older. He also became the most prolific US-born player in NHL postseason competition with 61 goals, surpassing Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen.

Pavelski has scored 400 goals in his career and became the fifth player selected in the seventh round of the NHL Draft or later to reach the milestone. He began his career with the San Jose Sharks, where he played his first 13 NHL seasons before signing with Dallas as a free agent in 2019.

Pavelski has earned several accolades throughout his career, including an NCAA championship with the University of Wisconsin in 2006 and leading the Sharks with 12 points in the 2013 playoffs.