MINNEAPOLIS _ A member of the "Miracle" hockey team that won Olympic gold for Team USA in 1980 remains jailed Wednesday in northeastern Minnesota on charges that he attacked a neighbor with a metal pole after they went fishing.
Mark Pavelich was booked into the Cook County jail Thursday night and appeared Monday in Cook County District Court on charges of second- and third-degree assault, possession of an illegal shotgun and receiving a gun with an altered or missing serial number.
Pavelich, 61, a land developer in Lutsen, remains held in lieu of $250,000 bail and is under court order to undergo a hearing on his competency to stand trial. He's scheduled to be back in court on Oct. 20. Court records show no legal counsel yet for him.
The Sheriff's Office said its deputies were dispatched on a call about an assault in the Lutsen area. A 63-year-old man reported being struck with a metal pipe by Pavelich after returning from fishing. Pavelich accused the man of "spiking his beer," according to the criminal complaint.
Pavelich has been a virtual recluse since he and his fellow amateur skaters portrayed David and stunned the world with their "Miracle" victory over the game's Goliath known as the Soviets. That semifinal triumph in the Olympics propelled Pavelich and the other Americans into modern sport immortality and onto the gold medal stand in Lake Placid.
For Pavelich's part, the creative center who starred for Eveleth High School and the University of Minnesota, Duluth, assisted on Mike Eruzione's winning goal against the Soviets. Team USA's story was turned into the Hollywood hit "Miracle" in 2004.
Pavelich soon moved into the NHL, playing five seasons with the New York Rangers and scoring 99 goals in the first three seasons. He joined the Minnesota North Stars in 1986-87, but only for 12 games.
After a brief pro stint in Italy, he was out of the game before a career-ending two-game stint with the San Jose Sharks in 1991-92. His time in the NHL spanned 355 games, tallying 137 goals and 192 assists.
In 2012, Pavelich's 44-year-old wife, Kara, died in an accidental fall from a second-story balcony at their home in 2012. Two years later, Pavelich sold his gold medal for $262,900 through a Dallas-based auction house, explaining that he was not in financial trouble and just wanted to provide financial security for his adult daughter.
