A forward for the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic ice hockey team faces four felony assault charges after allegedly attacking his Minnesota neighbor with a metal pole.
Mark Pavelich, 61, was arrested last week after the incident in his home near Lake Superior and remains in custody in lieu of $250,000 bail, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday.
The charges include second-degree assault, third-degree assault, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm with a missing or altered serial number.
A Cook County District Court judge ordered a mental competency hearing for Pavelich on Monday and he is due back in court in late October.
According to the criminal complaint, Pavelich attacked the man with a “metal tension bar” after a fishing trip because he believed the man had “spiked” his beer. The victim suffered multiple injuries, including two cracked ribs, a bruised left kidney and fractured vertebrae.
Pavelich, who played parts of seven seasons in the NHL, registered two assists during the Americans’ “miraculous” 4-3 victory against the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.
Pavelich registered 318 points (133 goals, 185 assists) in 341 career NHL games with the New York Rangers (1981-86), Minnesota North Stars (1986-87) and San Jose Sharks (1991-92).
–Field Level Media
