Former NHL star arrested in Lutsen found unfit for trial

A well-known Minnesota hockey player who won a gold medal in the 1980 Olympics is not fit to stand trial and needs assistance to deal with psychiatric issues, a judge ruled in the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais Oct. 28.

Former NHL star and Olympic gold medalist Mark Pavelich was arrested Aug. 15 in Lutsen on suspicion of felony assault. According to a law enforcement report, Cook County Sheriff’s deputies responded that August afternoon to a call for service in an incident involving an assault in the Lutsen area. A 63-year-old man reported being struck with a metal pipe by his neighbor after returning from fishing.

Deputies arrived and after an investigation they arrested the 61-year-old Pavelich for assault.

Judge Michael Cuzzo on Monday set Pavelich’s bail at $500,000. He also instructed local county officials to seek a treatment facility for the former hockey player.

Pavelich is a longtime Minnesota resident who was a member of the 1980 'Miracle on Ice' Olympic hockey team that won a gold medal. He went on to play for a number of years in the NHL, including stints with the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks.

Media reports often focus on the fact Pavelich preferred solitude and enjoyed fishing and hunting in the North Shore region.
According to the Associated Press, Pavelich’s wife died in September 2012 at their Lutsen home when she accidentally fell approximately 20 feet from a second-story balcony that had no railing. She was 44.