Mark Pavelich found dead (1958-2021)
Mark Thomas Pavelich was an American professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1981-1992. He suited up for three NHL teams in his professional career. He won the Olympic Gold medal for the United States at Lake Placid, defeating the heavily favored Soviet Union team in the round-robin by a score of 4-3 and later clinching Gold in a 4-2 victory against Finland.
After Lake Placid’s heroics and the “Miracle on Ice,” the Eveleth Minnesota native went undrafted into the NHL with the New York Rangers. He played seven seasons in the big apple before joining his former Olympic coach Herb Brooks with the Minnesota North Stars for twelve games in 1986-87. He retired from NHL hockey to play in Europe with the Dundee Rockets of the BHL in Britain. He played two more seasons in Italy for HC Bolzano. The expansion San Jose Sharks brought Pavelich out of retirement for their inaugural season in 1991-92, but Pavelich played only two games before hanging up the blades for good.
Notables
Pavelich assisted on Mike Eruzione’s game-winning goal against the Soviet Union. He is also the only American-born player to score five goals in a game, accomplishing the feat on February 23, 1983, in a game against the Hartford Whalers at Madison Square Garden; the record still stands today. He holds the Rangers rookie record for points in a season with (76). While with the San Jose Sharks, he assisted on the first-ever goal scored in franchise history by Craig Coxe in a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on October 4, 1991. Pavelich ranks No#83 all-time in the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats of the 901 New York Rangers who played for the team through its first 82 seasons.
Personal Struggles
The life of Mark Pavelich is filled with trials and tribulations. On September 11, 1985, he married Sue Koski. Their marriage produced one daughter, Tarjain 1987, in 1989, the couple had divorced.
In 1994 he married his second wife, Kara Burmachuk. The couple produced no children. Burmachuk died in a tragic accidental fall from a second-story balcony at their Lutsen, Minnesota home on September 6, 2012. She was 44 years of age.
In April 2014, He put his Olympic Gold medal on the auction block with a starting bid of $62,500, the medal sold in May 2014 for $262,900. Mark Wells is the only other 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team member to auction his medal, selling his in late 2010.
Pavelich’s sister Jean Gevik noted that she believed her brother had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. A condition caused by repeated blows to the head. Suffers experience mood swings, cognitive issues, behavioral problems, aggression, and depression.
On August 15, 2019, Mark Pavelich was involved in a serious altercation with a neighbor. He assaulted the man after having just gone fishing with him. Mark was charged with four felony counts: second-and third-degree assault, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, and possession of a firearm tampered serial number. On October 28, Pavelich’s upcoming trial was suspended because the judge found him incompetent to stand trial. Judge Michael Cuzzo said Pavelich “lacks the ability to consult counsel rationally, and is incapable of understanding the proceedings, and is incapable of participating in the defense due to mental illness or deficiency.”
On December 4, Cuzzo ruled that Pavelich was mentally ill and dangerous and ordered him committed to a secure treatment facility.
Update
The Anoka County Medical Examiner has determined that the March 4, 2021 death of “Miracle on ice star” Mark Thomas Pavelich was a suicide, saying that the cause of death was consistent with asphyxia. He was reported dead to police at the Eagles Healing Nest in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, at 8:35 in the morning.
On August 12, 2020, Pavelich was granted court approval to transfer from the state’s high-security mental health hospital to a less restrictive treatment setting.
Career statistics Mark Pavelich
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1975–76 | Eveleth High School | HS-MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | WCHA | 37 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | WCHA | 36 | 14 | 30 | 44 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs | WCHA | 37 | 31 | 48 | 79 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | United States National Team | Intl | 53 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | HC Lugano | NDA | 28 | 24 | 25 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | New York Rangers | NHL | 79 | 33 | 43 | 76 | 67 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 1982–83 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 37 | 38 | 75 | 52 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 12 |
| 1983–84 | New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 29 | 53 | 82 | 96 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1984–85 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1985–86 | New York Rangers | NHL | 59 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Dundee Rockets | BHL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | HC Bolzano | ITA | 36 | 31 | 44 | 75 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 8 |
| 1988–89 | HC Bolzano | ITA | 44 | 23 | 34 | 57 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 355 | 137 | 192 | 329 | 340 | 23 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 14 |
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | United States | OG | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1981 | United States | WC | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| Senior totals | 15 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 6 |
