Mark Pavelich, a member of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team “Miracle on Ice” who spent most of his seven-year NHL career with the Rangers, was found dead at a treatment center in central Minnesota.
The 63-year-old died at Eagle’s Healing Nest, where he was receiving mental health treatment, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Pavelich was in civil custody after assaulting his neighbor with a five-foot metal pipe in August 2019.
Police were called to Pavelich’s home at around 8:30 am on Thursday after a reported death. No one had seen Pavelich since 8 pm the previous day.
The cause of death was not immediately known.
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Pavelich starred in the US team during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, as part of the “The Coneheads” line, receiving an assist for Mike Eruzione’s goal that won a semifinal round against the much-vaunted Soviet Union team. The Americans beat Finland for the gold medal.
“We are sad to hear about the death of gold medalist in the 1980 Olympics, Mark Pavelich,” tweeted USA Hockey. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mark’s family and friends.” Forever part of the history of hockey. “
The six-foot-tall Minnesota native began a seven-year career in the NHL, which began in 1981 with Rangers and their former Olympic coaches, Herb Brooks and Craig Patrick. In a team with great personalities like Ron Duguay and Ron Greschner, the calm Pavelich was obstinate and skillful.
Pavelich centered Duguay on the 40-goal winger season, which Duguay told the Post was “a lot of his work”, and also scored 133 goals in 341 regular season games over five seasons with the Blueshirts.
“I will always be very grateful to have had the opportunity to play and to have a friend in Mark Pavelich,” said Duguay. “He was the most selfless, kind and courageous teammate. He was fearless. … Ranger fans adored him.”
Mark Pavelich, of the US “Miracle on Ice” team, is seen during a pre-Olympic exhibition game against the Soviet Union on February 9, 1980 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Getty Images)
Pavelich’s five-goal game on February 23, 1983 is still a franchise record, now shared with Mika Zibanejad.
“The New York Rangers are sad to hear about the death of Mark Pavelich,” said the Rangers in a statement. “His determination, passion and dizzying ability to play earned him the adoration of Rangers fans during his five years in New York. Mark helped inspire a nation through the role he played on the ‘Miracle on Ice’ team in the winter of the 1980 Olympics. . Our thoughts are with Mark’s loved ones during this difficult period. “
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His NHL career also included stops at the Minnesota North Stars and the San Jose Sharks.
Pavelich’s post-hockey life was one of legal, personal and mental issues. His wife, Kara, died in 2012, at the age of 44, after falling off a balcony. In 2014, he sold his gold medal for $ 262,900, dividing the sale to help his adult daughter. He had disagreements with neighbors and family members that ended up leading to his arrest for the 2019 attack, in which he accused a neighbor of “raising” his beer.
In April 2020, family and friends told the Post that they were hopeful that Pavelich was getting the help he needed.
“Mark doesn’t want to be the poster child for mental health,” said former Rangers colleague Barry Beck. “But we would like him to be able to tell his story, not someone else to tell it for him.”