Mark Wells
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Ice Hockey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1980 Lake Placid | Team | |
Mark Wells (born September 18, 1957 in St. Clair Shores, Michigan) is a retired American ice hockey forward. He is best known for being a member of the Miracle On Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team which won the gold medal.
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[edit] Amateur career
Wells attended Bowling Green State University in 1975-79 where he was a star forward in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (he only received a scholarship offer to play ice hockey after his first season with the university team). He joined the 1980 Olympic team on a full time basis in 1979 after his college career had ended.
[edit] Professional career
Wells was selected 176th overall in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He joined Montreal's top farm team the Nova Scotia Voyageurs after the Olympics but was unable to win a place on the Canadians roster. He was released by Montreal after the 1980 season and then signed to a free agent contract by the New York Rangers. Wells spent the following two seasons in the minor leagues with the New Haven Nighthawks, Flint Generals, Fort Wayne Komets and Oklahoma City Stars and retired in 1982 without playing a single game in the NHL.
[edit] Post Playing Career
Wells worked as a restaurant manager in Rochester Hills, Michigan, after his retirement from hockey, but had to retire from work while still in his early 40s due to constant back problems. He suffers from a rare genetic disease of his spinal cord discs. The illness has left him bed-ridden for years and will plague him for the rest of his life, yet he managed to play in the 2002 "Miracle on Ice" reunion game against doctor's orders.
[edit] Awards and Achievements
- CCHA All-Star First Team: 1976-77 and 1978-79 (Bowling Green)
