Based on the true story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team’s run to gold in Lake Placid, New York, the movie “Miracle” opens in theaters nationwide.
Heavy underdogs against their semifinal opponent from the Soviet Union, who had dominated international hockey for the previous 25 years, the U.S. team would win their semifinal game 4-3 and go on to win the gold medal.
The American side was made up of all amateur or collegiate players, 11 of which played for Minnesota colleges, nine of the 11 at the University of Minnesota.
One of the most infamous sports moments in the country’s history, the countdown to the semifinal win in Lake Placid, can be seen below.
The win over the Soviets is known, of course, as the “Miracle On Ice”, which spawned the name of the movie.
The head coach of the 1980 team was Herb Brooks, who served as the main subject of the film.
Brooks was born in St. Paul in 1937, attended Johnson High School as well as the University of Minnesota, and after competing for the national team as a player for 10 years, would become head coach of his alma mater.
Brooks led Minnesota to three national titles and became the head man of the U.S. team in 1979. After the national team won their 1980 gold medal, Brooks would coach a number of NHL teams including the Minnesota North Stars for two seasons in the late 1980s.
Brooks died in 2003 at age 66 after falling asleep behind the wheel, which led to a fatal single-car crash.
He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, International Hockey Hall of Fame, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
