Miracle on Ice (1980)

Lore & Background

The Soviet Union was a four-time defending gold medalist and heavily favored. Olympic rules at the time prohibited professional athletes, but the Soviet government circumvented this by employing professional athletes in symbolic university or military positions. The Soviet team consisted of veteran players with significant international experience. The United States team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, was composed mostly of amateur players; only four players had any experience beyond that level, and even then all four had only minimal, minor-league experience. The U.S. had the youngest team in the tournament and in U.S. national team history. In the group stage, both teams were undefeated; the U.S. achieved a 2–2 draw against Sweden and a 7–3 upset victory over Czechoslovakia. In the medal round, the Americans played the Soviets. Finishing the first period tied at 2–2, and the Soviets leading 3–2 following the second, the U.S. team scored two more goals to take their first lead midway in the third and final period, then held out to win 4–3. Two days later, the U.S. secured the gold medal by defeating Finland 4–2, while the Soviet Union claimed the silver medal with a 9–2 victory over Sweden. Mark Johnson, who led the Americans in scoring, was named tournament MVP.

In Their Own Story

The arena was electric, a frozen cathedral of hope and tension. The Soviet machine had rolled through the tournament, but the young Americans refused to bow. Down 3-2 in the third period, the crowd chanted 'U-S-A! U-S-A!' as if willing the puck into the net. Then, Mark Johnson tied it on a rebound, and with ten minutes left, team captain Mike Eruzione fired a wrist shot from the slot that beat Soviet goaltender Vladimir Myshkin. The clock ticked down, and broadcaster Al Michaels' voice cracked with emotion: 'Do you believe in miracles? Yes!' The final seconds felt eternal, then the ice erupted in a pile of red, white, and blue. The impossible had happened.

Reader's Guide

The victory became one of the most iconic moments of the Games and in U.S. sports. The television call of the final seconds by Al Michaels for ABC declared: 'Do you believe in miracles? Yes!' The team was honored as Sports Illustrated's Sportsmen of the Year and the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1980. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the 'Miracle on Ice' the top sports moment of the 20th century. In 2008, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) named it the top international ice hockey story of the past 100 years. In 2025, the United States Congress recognized the members of the team with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Did You Know?

• The Soviet Union had won the gold medal in five of the six previous Winter Olympic Games.
• The U.S. team had an average age of 21, making it the youngest team in U.S. history to play in the Olympics.
• The Soviet team had not lost a game in Olympic play since 1968.
• The U.S. team played 61 exhibition games in five months before the Olympics.