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Mark Wells

1957–2024 · ice hockey forward

St. Clair Shores native who won Olympic gold with the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team; his hometown rink is named after him.

Born

St. Clair Shores, Michigan
Died

Escanaba, Michigan
aged 66
Birth name
Mark Ronald Wells
Detroit years
1957–1970s
Field
Sports

01 / The Detroit story

The Detroit story

Mark Wells grew up in St. Clair Shores, the lakeside suburb northeast of Detroit, and graduated from Lake Shore High School before starring at Bowling Green State University. Coach Herb Brooks picked him for the U.S. Olympic team for the 1980 Winter Games at Lake Placid, where he was one of the checking forwards on the college squad that beat the heavily favored Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice" and then defeated Finland for the gold medal. After the Olympics he played in the minor leagues; he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings but refused the assignment and retired in 1982 without playing an NHL game. He later faced serious health problems, yet he joined his teammates for their reunion game before the 2002 Olympics. In 2014 St. Clair Shores named its Civic Arena rink the Mark Wells Ice Rink.

Highlights

  1. Olympic gold medal with the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team
  2. Graduated from Lake Shore High School in St. Clair Shores
  3. Played college hockey at Bowling Green
  4. St. Clair Shores Civic Arena rink named for him in 2014

02 / Their Detroit places

Their Detroit places 2

Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.

  1. Memorial · 2014–

    St. Clair Shores Civic Arena – Mark Wells Ice Rink

    The city's ice arena, whose Olympia Room rink was named the Mark Wells Ice Rink in 2014.

    Source ↗

  2. Studied here · early 1970s

    Lake Shore High School

    His high school in St. Clair Shores.

    Source ↗