Miracle On Ice Team
“Do You Believe in Miracles?” Photo: AP

The “Miracle On Ice” 1980 Olympic hockey game between the U.S.A. and Russia is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history. It took place on February 22, 1980 and was played between amateurs (the U.S.) and professionals (Russia). The U.S. team was a huge underdog going into this game, but they ended up beating the Russians by a score of 4-3.

What’s less known about the “Miracle On Ice” team is that it was made up of mostly Minnesotans, with 13 of the 20 players on this team born in Minnesota.  The team was led by coach Herb Brooks, a Minnesota native who had coached the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team to three NCAA National Championships leading up to the 1980 Olympics.

Much has been written and said about the “Miracle On Ice” game, but what’s unfortunate is that younger generations may not fully appreciate why this was such a huge game, both athletically and politically. The “Miracle on Ice” game became a symbol of American resolve in an era of apathy and growing U.S. / Soviet tensions. This game became a catalyst of national pride during a very uncertain period in American history.

The following is a list of Minnesotans that were part of the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” U.S.A. Olympic Hockey Team:

Non-Minnesotans that were part of the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” U.S.A. Olympic Hockey Team included:

Miracle On Ice Fun Facts

2 Responses

  1. I was not born when this happened, but this is my favorite 20th century sports moment. If you’ve ever seen the movie, the move creators and the actors worked just as hard as the original 20 players.

  2. I was serving on board a US Navy ship during this period. Name of vessel is still classified. However, they were able to stretch a big projection screen up on the hanger deck. We watched this tape. And to this day, I cannot understand how shocked we all were over the victory. Not a single one us jumped up to cheer. We could only sit and look at each other and wonder why not one of us jumped up screaming for joy. Perhaps the most momentous occasion in my life, the “Shock of Silence”. The other one is having watched ALL Apollo missions LIVE.

    rmfr

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