Joe Pavelski Joins Wisconsin Badgers Staff

Former player Joe Pavelski has found a new gig for the 2026-27 season, but it won’t be in the NHL. According to an announcement from the program, the University of Wisconsin has hired Pavelski as Director of Player Development. Additionally, the Badgers hockey team has hired Andy Brandt as an Assistant Coach and Steve Briere as the Director of Goaltending Development.

It’s a return home for Pavelski. “Little Joe” grew up nearly two hours north of Madison in Plover, WI, and eventually committed to the Badgers program for his collegiate career. At the time, he was playing for the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks. Pavelski wasn’t the best skater in the world at the time, to put it nicely, and he spent another year in the USHL after being selected with the 205th overall pick of the 2003 NHL Draft.

Despite the challenges he faced, he achieved success during his time with the Badgers in college. Pavelski registered 39 goals and 98 points in 82 games with Wisconsin, helping the team to its sixth National Championship in his sophomore campaign. After defeating the University of Maine in the Frozen Four, the Badgers took down Boston College in the 2006 National Championship.

Obviously, his NHL pedigree speaks for itself. Since Pavelski never had top-flight speed, he utilized his hand-eye coordination to his advantage. To his benefit, as far as Father Time is concerned, hand-eye coordination tends to stick around much longer than foot speed, allowing Pavelski to remain in the NHL for nearly two decades becoming one of the greatest seventh-round selections of all time. In 13 years with the San Jose Sharks and five years with the Dallas Stars, Pavelski scored 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 career games.

After a one-year break post-retirement, Pavelski returned to the game, coaching his son’s amateur team in Madison. Outside of his new role with the Badgers, Pavelski recently interviewed for the head coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, reaching the second round of the interview process.