‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey star Mark Pavelich found dead in treatment facility

MINNEAPOLIS — Olympic “Miracle” hockey star and Iron Range sports legend Mark Pavelich was found dead Thursday in a central Minnesota residential treatment center.

Pavelich, who turned 63 a week ago, died at Eagle’s Healing Nest, according to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office. He was receiving mental health treatment there for the past several months. At the time of his death he was under civil commitment for a violent assault on a North Shore neighbor nearly 1 1/2 years ago,

Police said they were called to the residence about 8:30 a.m. Thursday on a report of a death. Emergency dispatch audio disclosed that Pavelich had not been seen since 8 p.m. Wednesday, and responding personnel said he appeared to have been dead for several hours.

His body was taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Anoka, which said it has yet to determine a cause and manner of death.

Pavelich was charged in Cook County District Court with beating his neighbor James T. Miller after the two went fishing in August 2019, after suspecting that Miller spiked his beer. Miller, 63, was treated for cracked ribs, a bruised kidney, a fracture to one of his vertebrae and other injuries.

Pavelich, a land developer and longtime Lutsen resident, faced four felony counts, including two assault charges and two illegal weapons charges after authorities found firearms with altered serial numbers on his reclusive property.