Mark Wells attended Bowling Green University where he starred for several years prior to the 1980 Olympics. After Lake Placid he signed with the New York Rangers but really had very little success in pro hockey. He bumped around the minor leagues for two years, playing with New Haven, Flint, Fort Wayne, and Oklahoma City before deciding to retire from professional hockey. He then rejoined the U.S. National team for the 1983 World’s Championship but did not survive the final cuts to make the team. Wells returned to Minnesota where he became a restaurant manager but had to retire early due to severe back problems. This was related to a rare spinal cord disease that eventually rendered him bed-ridden. In 2010, because of his health issues, Wells sold his Lake Placid gold medal at auction.
United States