ANOKA, Minn. – Last month’s death of the “Miracle on Ice”, the Olympic hockey marker, Mark Pavelich, was convicted of suicide, a Minnesota medical doctor said on Monday.
The Midwest Medical Examination Office in Anoka County said in a press release that Pavelich, 63, died of asphyxiation. His body was found on March 3 at the Eagle Healing Nest in Sauk Center, Minn.
Pavelich was treated at home as part of a civil pledge to assault his neighbor in Cook County, Minnesota, in August 2019. Pavelich believed the man had thrown away his beer.
He was charged with aggravated assault, but Judge Michael Cuzzo found him incompetent to stand trial because he was mentally ill and dangerous. The judge said that psychologists discovered that Pavelich was suffering from delusions and paranoia. Experts also diagnosed him with a mild neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury, probably related to repeated head injuries.
Pavelich, who played 341 of the 355 NHL games with the Rangers, witnessed Mike Eruzione’s winning goal against the highly-favored Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympics. The American team won the gold medal.