Miracle milestone: The U.S. Olympic hockey team staged the upset of the ages 40 years ago

Boston Herald ^ | Feb. 21, 2020 | Rich Thompson

[ConservativeStatement]

The American squad was a patchwork of college players from the Northeast and the upper Midwest under the direction of coach Herb Brooks.

They completed their improbable run to the gold medal on Sunday, Feb. 24, with a 4-2 victory over Finland at the Olympic Fieldhouse in Lake Placid, N.Y.

But the movement truly began two days earlier when the U.S. squad stunned the hockey universe with 4-3 victory over the Soviet Union. The CCCP crew was considered the greatest amateur hockey team ever assembled and equal to any NHL franchise.

[ConservativeStatement]

Best moment in sports because of the obvious in that it was a shining light filled with political intrigue. The unofficial end of the late 70s. Ronald Reagan. USA! USA! Remarkable achievement.

[FlipWilson]

Watched the entire game the other day. Still amazing.

[LibFreeUSA]

That game and event was the origin of “USA. USA, USA” ... as the Soviets were left standing there on the ice at then end of the game shell shocked looking at the entire crowd going crazy.

[BobL]

Being a hockey fan back then, and having watched the Soviets make minced meat out of NHL teams (until the Flyers, and only because they manhandled the Soviets), along with our planned boycott of Moscow Olympics that summer...I never bought the ‘miracle’.

But we did need something uplifting, and they gave it to us.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Still remembering watching this game I think it was on tape delay because my mom already knew the outcome but she didn’t tell me she let me enjoy it standing up cheering heart pounding excited USA USA USA

[Dilbert San Diego]

And announcer Al Michaels shouted “Do you believe in miracles??”. As time expired.

Al.says that people still ask him about that. It was spontaneous and not a planned statement.

[airborne]

Hockey Ping!

(let me know if you want on or off the ping list)

[airborne]

ABC Sports wanted to change the start time for the game to 8 PM for prime time viewers but the Russians refused.

And the rest is history!

[Alberta's Child]

I was too young to appreciate the “Miracle on Ice” when it took place, but I’ve become an avid student of the story and marvel at how it has endured through time.

It has been widely acclaimed as a stunning upset, but team Captain Mike Eruzione said years later that the U.S. team was far better than anyone realized at the time. And they had the advantage of what ought to go down as the greatest coaching performance in modern history by the legendary Herb Brooks.