OT: 35 years ago today a hockey game was played in Lake Placid, NY

[Fenway]

This was and always will be the defining moment for hockey in the United States.

Back in 1980 most Americans thoughts of hockey came from what they saw in the movie Slap Shot that was released 3 years earlier. The fans who loved the game were simply hoping that the US wouldn't lose 10-1 and I was among that group.

Through complete dumb luck, my girlfriend at the time got tickets through JC Penny for the 5 PM game on February 22nd. She had tried to get figure skating but they were sold out but she wanted to experience Lake Placid. I told her we most likely would see a game between Finland and Sweden as the US if they were still alive would play the later game. (who knew )

Driving up she was all excited saying we can beat the Russians - me who had gone to BU and was a big fan of the program just faintly smiled because I was also a NHL fan and I knew exactly who we were playing.

ABC did not televise the game live simply because they feared the anger of affiliates screaming we gave up local news to see the US lose 12-1?

We arrived in the area around 3 PM and waited for the Greyhound shuttle buses ( traffic in Lake Placid was awful ) and finally got to the arena at 4:45 PM.

I can not describe what being in that arena was like. In the third period the teams would play for 20 minutes and ten seconds came off the clock. I have never been happier about being so wrong about an outcome of a sporting event.

More importantly that game changed the way NHL clubs looked at NCAA players.

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[ODAAT]

Boys playing men

David vs Goliath

and the political climate at that time made this one to remember

I was only 11 at that time and without a doubt, was the first time I had ever witnessed such an amazing feat on ice and I`m really not sure I`ve seen one since that`s come even remotely close to matching it

 

[LSCII]

Do you believe in miracles? That phrase has given me goose bumps since I was ten years old, and it still does today. It doesn't even have to be the Al Michael's call, just thinking about it does the trick. Easily the biggest sports victory this country has ever been involved in.

 

[Gee Wally]

This is why 'on paper' can never be trusted in sports.

You still have to play the game.

 

[Bruwinz37]

ESPN has a new 30 for 30 out called Of Miracles and Men that was very good. It was from the Soviet perspective. A must watch.

I love everything about that 1980 team.

 

[Fenway]

This is why 'on paper' can never be trusted in sports.

You still have to play the game.

ABC tried to move the game to the 8:00 PM slot but the Russians refused as they pouted that viewers in Russia would then be forced to watch at 3 AM.

The key to that game was the second goal by the US with one second left in the first. Vladislav Tretiak was asleep on the play and the Russian coach yanked him.

When we went ahead 4-3 with 10 minutes left I went insane and I swear it took 4 hours to play those final minutes. I didn't want to be heartbroken like I was 9 months earlier at a rink 100 miles north of Lake Placid.

They have never replaced the scoreboard at what is now Herb Brooks Arena. They want that building to be frozen in time as it should be.

 

[Replicator]

ESPN has a new 30 for 30 out called Of Miracles and Men that was very good. It was from the Soviet perspective. A must watch.

I love everything about that 1980 team.

That show was awesome. It makes you realize how unlikely it was for the Soviets to succeed in as many fields as they did - hockey in particular - with no access to direct competition. Watching footage of the original coach training them with Bolshoi Ballet moves shows something that still lives on in the mindset of Russian players today. And it also quietly underscores how hardcore they were. These were professional hockey players on a team that had been together for years.

Playing against prospects.

I was watching less hockey by that time, but I've never missed a US Olympic hockey game. That assured it.

 

[Fenway]

ESPN has a new 30 for 30 out called Of Miracles and Men that was very good. It was from the Soviet perspective. A must watch.

I love everything about that 1980 team.

DVR alert : If you haven't seen it it airs today at 4 PM on ESPN

 

[LouJersey]

Best sporting moment in my life. Indescribable .

 

[Fenway]

To this day I wonder if Herb Brooks tanked this game played just before the Olympics not to show his hand.

 

[missingchicklet]

To this day I wonder if Herb Brooks tanked this game played just before the Olympics not to show his hand.

He's said as much. He took Craig out early and admitted later down the road he didn't want to show his hand.

The 30 for 30 is a really great documentary. Gives a good overview of the history of Soviet hockey up until the 1980s. I also enjoyed seeing a lot of the footage of the Soviet team. I hadn't seen much of that footage before.

 

[whatsbruin]

Amazing game and feeling after it was over.
Too bad one of the stations doesn't show Miracle on ice tonight.

 

[Pie O My]

Does anybody know what happened on this day?

pregame pep talk - "You lose this game and you'll live with that feeling for the rest of your effing life! THE REST OF YOUR EFFING LIFE!!!" (Door slam. Exit coach, stage right)

 

[Fenway]

Does anybody know what happened on this day?

pregame pep talk - "You lose this game and you'll live with that feeling for the rest of your effing life! THE REST OF YOUR EFFING LIFE!!!" (Door slam. Exit coach, stage right)

It was 2-1 Finland after 2. People forget that if they lost that game they would not have gotten a medal.

 

[Pie O My]

It was 2-1 Finland after 2. People forget that if they lost that game they would not have gotten a medal.

wow! yes, i did forget. why didn't Finland get the silver?

 

[Artemis]

wow! yes, i did forget. why didn't Finland get the silver?

They had a different set-up in those days. Much simpler now.

I was dating a guy at the time who wasn't into sports. I watched the game alone (well, not really alone) in a pub. I just remember feeling so numb. Dumbstruck.

Two days later, when they won the gold, I cried my eyes out.

Addendum: The 30 for 30 docu is excellent. There's also a movie in theaters now, "Red Army," about the Soviet team that's getting great reviews.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

ESPN has a new 30 for 30 out called Of Miracles and Men that was very good. It was from the Soviet perspective. A must watch.

I love everything about that 1980 team.

I had already seen it a couple of weeks ago (and loved it), but I had my son watch this the other day and he really enjoyed it. We are headed to Lake Placid Thursday morning for a tournament and I thought the historical perspective would be pretty cool for him as we will be playing on the same rinks.

 

[Fenway]

wow! yes, i did forget. why didn't Finland get the silver?

This explains the format

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_1980_Winter_Olympics#Final_round

The gold medal ceremony occurred much later in the day after Russia just destroyed Sweden but the US had already locked up the gold by beating Finland.

The 1980 US team fueled explosive growth of youth hockey in the US and it all paid off in 1996 when the US won the first World Cup shocking Canada in the final at Montreal. Highlights of the game are on You Tube thanks to old friend dafoomie.

 

[08SeaBass08]

Did almost nothing but play street hockey at summer camp all summer that year. It was in Vermont, and probably a fifth to a quarter of the kids were Quebecois. We Yankee hacks never wanted to play Americans vs. Canadians (we presumed we'd get crushed) before the '80 Olympics and pretty much never wanted to play anything but Americans vs. Canadians after.

 

[robert terwilliger]

Does anybody know what happened on this day?

pregame pep talk - "You lose this game and you'll live with that feeling for the rest of your effing life! THE REST OF YOUR EFFING LIFE!!!" (Door slam. Exit coach, stage right)

i think eruzione said in the hbo documentary it was

"if you lose this game you'll take it to your ****in' graves."

then he paused, started to walk out, turned around and said, "your ****in' graves!"

 

[Fenway]

ESPN has a new 30 for 30 out called Of Miracles and Men that was very good. It was from the Soviet perspective. A must watch.

I love everything about that 1980 team.

ESPN has put it on You Tube