Final Minute of the “Miracle on Ice” – IOTW Report

Final Minute of the “Miracle on Ice”

Tuesday, 23 February 2021, 18:00 MJA Uncategorized 26

On February 22, 1980, the United States Olympic hockey team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history, defeating the Soviet Union, 4-3.

Youtube got bitchy about it being posted. Here’s the link

h/t Ghost.

26 Comments on Final Minute of the “Miracle on Ice”

  1. I remember this like it was yesterday. I’m from Bowling Green, Ohio & 2 of Team USA had just finished up playing at Bowling Green State University.
    Ken Morrow & Mark Wells.
    Morrow went on to earn 4 straight Stanley Cups w/the NY Islanders.

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  3. Remember it well. Always lamented the fact that Russia basically fielded pros where everyone else was amateur which made beating them twice as good. Plus home ice. When you could be proud of your country. Sure miss that stuff.

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  6. Different Tim: The USSR teams comprised a lot of people who were in the military. Their jobs in the military were their sports but they weren’t paid athletes as such.

    I can just imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if the US tried that.

    There was a Finish policeman whose job on the police department was to run track. Same thing.

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  10. Russia’s hockey league traditionally had 1 stacked team (Red Army) that played in a league of non pro Professionals whose full time job was hockey.

    When International competitions arose, RED ARMY comprised the core of the Olympic team and the few best from the other teams joined.

    Essentially, Team USA which were amateurs & college kids at the time played Russia’s Professionals.

    This imbalance eventually led to NHL players playing in the Olympics (as well as $$$$) when the whole thing became crap.

    Makes 1980 the greatest upset in Olympic History and in my ignorant opinion all of Hockey.

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  11. There were one or two events, like all here, I remember where I was and what I did THAT day…this was one of them.

    Amazing unheard of symbolic ‘victory’ at that time.

    That ‘put’ America back on it’s feet at the time…but done with skates…

    I LOVE the look on the face of the ‘Soviet professionals’ :>O

    Like… uh WTF just happened?!?!

    BTW Jim Craig became ‘immortal’ as a result…and was a ‘black hole’ as a goalie…

    Thanks @MJA!

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  14. Wow, 41 years ago…but always will be a great memory for US hockey fans.

    But never fear…if US hockey never wins another Olympic Gold Medal, we still have Megan (Double “L”) Rapinoe and the Woman’s US Soccer team to cheer for.

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  16. 1976 Flyers vs Red Army hockey team. I was small, but I remember our pop let us stay up and watch.

    Blood all over the ice and Russia left in tears. That was a game for the ages.

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  17. My (very minor) connection to this is I once bought Mike Eruzione a blue blazer. He was speaking at the company I worked for and they replaced the patch pocket with a logo’d patch with the company’s name on it. I made sure the original patch was in the left pocket. BTW, 44R

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  18. The Soviet players hated their strict coach, Veectorhhhh…something or other and their living conditions. They were all Red Army officers but had to live with each other in a government compound for 11 months of the year, rarely getting to see their families.

    But they did develop a constant circling movement and puck control style of hockey that was successful. The theory behind it was if you never let the other side have the puck, they’ll never score on you. They would circle and continually pass to each other in their own end till one of them felt confident enough to cross their own blue line.

    Later in the mid 1980’s the Philadelphia Flyers kicked their asses, literally. It got so brutal that the Soviets almost quit after a couple of periods. Bobby Clarke, one of the Flyer’s stars, harbored an extreme dislike of the Soviet players and let them know it.

    However, because of their amazing skills, lots of them got well-paying jobs playing hockey in North America.

  20. The rooskies Red Army were shell shocked by a bunch of college age young men, who came from different collegiate programs, and competed against one another, unified as Team USA. Herb Brooks pulled off perhaps the greatest coaching feat in Olympic team sports history. I’ll never forget Al Michael’s “ Do you believe in miracles? YES!!

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  23. Tim, that game was on late on the West Coast. One of the few times I saw my pop get up out of his chair and yell at the TV.

    I remember all the Russians wore helmets and had short hair. None of the Americans wore helmets. They all had muttonchops and big staches.. they looked scary. And there was indeed, blood on the ice. A lot. In different places.

    The Russian coach lodged all sorts of complaints, shook his fist at the U.S. But it pretty much boiled down to… “stay the fudge out of Philly” . Cuz that was the first time the Russians played against an NHL team.

    That was one of the reasons the Miracle on Ice was so big. Everyone figured the Russians were gonna’ mop the floor with those kids in retaliation.

    Go look up that game on youtube. The bodychecks where the Russian guys just lay there on the ice not moving…for a looong time….spooky.

    But also hilarious….

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  24. I have Al Michael’s audio book, “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”. Great listen. I ALWAYS crank the volume up to full when he says, “Do you believe in miracles”? YES!!!! Always makes my day!

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  25. Video unavailable
    This video contains content from International Olympic Committee, who has blocked it from display on this website or application.
    Watch on YouTube

    Commietube. 😡

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