Mark Wells

Mark Ronald Wells (September 18, 1957 – May 14, 2024) was an American professional ice hockey forward who was best known for being a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.

Amateur career Mark Wells graduated from Lake Shore High School in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, in 1975. Wells then attended Bowling Green State University from 1975 to 1979 where he was a star forward with the Falcons in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Despite his abilities as a player, Wells did not receive a scholarship offer to play hockey until after his first season with the team.

Following the completion of his college career, Wells, along with Falcons teammate Ken Morrow, was selected to play on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey team that went on to win the gold medal at Lake Placid. Wells played centre on a line with Phil Verchota and Eric Strobel.

Wells was the last players added to the 1980 roster. He suffered from a hairline fracture during a training run, this threatened his chances.

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 secure a spot on the Canadiens roster. He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings after the 1980 season, however refused the assignment and was released from his contract.

Wells then signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers but spent the next two seasons shifting around the minor leagues playing for the New Haven Nighthawks, Flint Generals, Fort Wayne Komets, and Oklahoma City Stars. Wells finally retired in 1982 without playing a single game in the NHL.

Post-playing career Following his retirement from hockey, Wells worked as a restaurant manager in Rochester Hills, Michigan, but sustained a fractured vertebra while unloading crates. Following eleven hours of surgery, Wells was informed by the doctor that he had a rare degenerative spinal disease. The illness, which affects the disks in the spinal column, forced Wells to retire from work and required multiple surgeries, leaving him bed-ridden for extended periods and clinically depressed.

In 2010, financially struggling from medical bills and in need of finances for further surgery, Wells reluctantly sold his gold medal medallion to a private collector for $40,000. The medal was later auctioned off by the buyer for $310,700. Having kept the medal on his nightstand for over twenty years, Wells expressed in a 2010 Daily News article how difficult a decision it had been to sell the medal: "It killed me to sell the medal. Killed me. But my life was crumbling. I was going to lose my home. I needed to sell it to have surgery and to live. I had no choice."

Awards and achievements Award Year All-CCHA First Team 1976–77 All-CCHA First Team 1978–79 In popular culture Wells was featured in a 1981 TV movie about the 1980 U.S. hockey team called Miracle on Ice. Jeff Miller, a retired California State Assemblyman played Wells in the 1981 movie, and Wells himself appeared in archival footage of the gold medal ceremony used in the movie.

In the 2004 Disney film Miracle, he is portrayed by Joe Hemsworth.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1974–75 Detroit Jr. Red Wings SOJHL — — — — — — — — — — 1975–76 Bowling Green Falcons CCHA 32 17 27 44 10 — — — — — 1976–77 Bowling Green Falcons CCHA 39 23 36 59 20 — — — — — 1977–78 Bowling Green Falcons CCHA 38 11 34 45 33 — — — — — 1978–79 Bowling Green Falcons CCHA 45 26 57 83 30 — — — — — 1979–80 United States Intl 22 7 6 13 2 — — — — — 1979–80 Nova Scotia Voyageurs AHL 9 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 1979–80 Flint Generals IHL 19 9 13 22 19 — — — — — 1980–81 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 67 14 29 43 22 — — — — — 1981–82 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 19 3 10 13 8 — — — — — 1981–82 Oklahoma City Stars CHL 14 1 1 2 6 — — — — — 1981–82 Flint Generals IHL 6 0 1 1 6 — — — — — AHL totals 76 15 29 44 22 — — — — — IHL totals 44 12 24 36 33 — — — — —

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1980 United States OG 7 2 1 3 0