Mike Eruzione says he understands it but would never do it himself. At least the story isn't as sad as that of his teammate Mark Wells.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Mark Pavelich, a forward on the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, is selling his medal through a Dallas auction house.
Heritage Auction will accept bids online and by email beginning Friday through May 16. Heritage sports director Chris Ivy told the Star-Tribune that the bidding will start at $62,500 but thinks the sale's "floor" is $250,000.
Ivy said the 56-year-old Pavelich is not suffering any financial hardship.
"He's doing fine," Ivy said, according to the Star-Tribune. "It's something that he wants to help his kids out with education, the trust and that kind of thing."
Pavelich played five years in the NHL with the New York Rangers from 1981-82 to 1985-86 and had brief stints with the Minnesota North Stars (1986-87) and San Jose Sharks (1991-92).
Pavelich had two assists during Team USA's 4-3 victory over the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. One of the assists helped fellow forward and team captain Mike Eruzione score the game-winning goal.
"He won it, he knows it and he doesn't need the medal to prove that," Eruzione told the Star-Tribune. "You hate to see it, but we are all grown men. Good luck to him, and I hope it means a lot of money."
Eruzione said he expects other team members will join Wells and Pavelich in cashing in their medal, but as for himself: "I will never sell my medal as long as I'm alive."
Eruzione did say that he has sold other Olympics mementos, including his jersey.
The Star-Tribune reported that Pavelich is the second member of the "Miracle on Ice" U.S. hockey team to cash in his gold. Mark Wells, a center on that team, was forced to sell his gold medal in 2002 to pay for medical expenses associated with a degenerative disk disease in his back and multiple back surgeries, according to the New York Daily News.
Wells sold his medal for $40,000 to a private buyer, who commissioned Heritage in 2010, and Heritage fetched $310,710 for it.
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