New York Rangers: The best undrafted players in franchise history

#4 – Mark Pavelich

After winning an Olympic golf medal with the U.S. Men’s hockey team in 1980 , the Minnesota native found a professional career in Switzerland playing for HC Lugano.  That all changed when the Rangers hired Herb Brooks to coach the team in 1981.  He immediately reached out out to Pavelich and signed the diminutive five-foot-eight inch center to a contract.

Pavelich was the epitome of the Rangers under Brooks. Puck possession and creativity were key to Brooks’ system and Pavelich excelled at both.  In his rookie season he set a team rookie record for points (76) and assists (43)  and  he tied Bill Cook’s rookie record of 33 goals. His assists total was later exceeded by Brian Leetch and Tony Granato scored more goals, but he is still the highest scoring rookie in Ranger history.

In his second season he became the first and only American-born NHL player to score five goals in one game matching Don Murdoch as the only Rangers to score that many goals in a game.

Pavelich’s Ranger career went south after Brooks was let go after four years. In 1986, completely at odds with coach Ted Sator, Pavelich actually quit the team in March.  He later returned for short stints in Minnesota and San Jose, but, disenchanted with professional hockey, he retired to a cabin in northern Minnesota where he became a  recluse. He made headlines when he sold his Olympic gold medal at auction to pay for his daughter’s expenses and made his first public appearance in years at a reunion of the Olympic team in 2015.

Pavelich ended up playing five years in New York, scoring 133 goals in 341 games.  With 318 points he almost averaged a point a game. He will always be remembered as one of the most creative and determined Rangers and the best of the four gold medalists to play for New York.