Big Pavelski: There’s the Sharks player, and then there’s the sushi roll

Forget that “Little Joe” stuff.

When it comes to sushi, Joe Pavelski looms large as the only member of the San Jose Sharks to earn a coveted spot on the Yuki Sushi menu in San Jose.

And if fans believe in good-luck charms, the “Big Pavelski” might be the roll to order this week as the hockey team takes on the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The roll’s been on the menu for several years, dating back to when Pavelski lived not far from the Yuki location in Willow Glen and was a frequent customer.

“He and the sushi chef got to know each other,” owner Jennefer Koopman says, so they created a roll that combines spicy salmon — that part belies Pavelski’s “very sweet” personality, she noted — with cucumber, hamachi, avocado, green onions, tempura crunch, masago and unagi sauce.

“It’s a very popular roll” year-round and not just during hockey season — particularly because it’s the only specialty roll topped with seaweed salad, Koopman says.

But if there’s a run on the Big Pavelski ($16.50 for eight pieces) this month, they’ll make sure to have enough ingredients on hand.

Fans might also want to consider the Shark Roll ($15.25, eight pieces), which Koopman says was devised with the input of former Sharks coach Todd McLellan. That’s spicy hamachi with unagi, avocado, masago and green onions.

You’ll have to plan your Sharks sushi experience around the games, however. Yuki Sushi is TV-free, so stop by before the puck drops or come in for a victory roll afterward.

Details: The Big Pavelski is only on Yuki Sushi’s Willow Glen menu, 1140 Lincoln Ave., San Jose. Lunch is served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner every day from 5 p.m. (The original Yuki Sushi is in Santa Clara.) http://yukisushi.com/willow-glen/