Joe Pavelski wins Las Vegas 21 in '22 skills competition on Vegas Strip

Even though his linemates weren't with him in Las Vegas, Joe Pavelski made sure to honor Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson - even if it was completely coincidental.

Taking part in the Las Vegas NHL 21 in '22 as part of the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills, Pavelski hit an ace and a king on his first and second shots, and then hit an ace of spades and queen in the final round to win the first-time event held on the Vegas Strip.

Hintz' nickname "Ace of Spades" - coined by former Texas Stars goalie Mike McKenna during the 2017-18 season - comes from the trio of playing cards tattooed on his forearm, while 21 is Robertson's jersey number.
The event took place on Thursday on The Strip and shut down Las Vegas Boulevard. It involved a deck of 52 oversized cards set up on a rack facing the players. The goal was for each player to take shots at the board and try to get a hand of 21 without going bust. Any player that hit 21 would advance to the final round, which was high card.
Pavelski dominated the event by hitting 21 in the first round and final round.

"I don't think we realized how big of a deal it is," Pavelski said to NHL.com. "As you're doing it and start hearing stories about The Strip's really not been closed down besides for a few movies and in the middle of the night, so it was pretty cool."
Pavelski was one of five players taking part in the event along with Toronto's Auston Matthews, Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk, Colorado's Nazem Kadri and Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos.

"I guess all of us did find a way to get to 21, " Pavelski said. "At times it felt like it wasn't easy but there were some pretty simple shots it felt like and then there were some where you're looking and you have to go up high, you didn't know how the puck was going to react."

You can watch Pavelski take part in the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. CT on ABC.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.