For the first time ever, all living 19 members the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic hockey team will reunite in Lake Placid, New York, to celebrate the 35-year anniversary of its iconic victory over the Soviet Union.
The reunion will take place Saturday at Herb Brooks Arena, the site of what Sports Illustrated famously called “the greatest sports moment of the 20th century,” according to a release from WhiteFace.
Tickets to the night of film and stories told by the team are $19.80 and can be purchased right here.
Miracle on Ice, 1980. pic.twitter.com/DbZrymjtyX
— Historical Pics (@VeryOldPics) February 17, 2015
“To be able to share our story with fans has always been a pleasure, and given the 35th Anniversary is in 2015, this seems like a great time to reach as many people as possible,” said Dave Christian, a native of Warroad, Minnesota, who patrolled the blue line for Team USA. “Honestly, sharing the stories never gets old, because it always ends with a smile on someone’s face.”
The event will honor the life of the late Bob Suter, a member of the 1980 team and father of Wild star Ryan Suter. He died of a heart attack last September at the age of 57. His No. 20 sweater will be raised to the rafters during the reunion.
Twelve of the 20 players on the team are Minnesotans. Below is a list of each player, along with their age in 1980, hometown and where they played in college, according to ProIceHockey.com.
- Steve Janaszak, 22, Saint Paul (Minnesota)
- Bill Baker, 22, Grand Rapids (Minnesota
- Dave Christian, 20, Warroad (North Dakota)
- Mike Ramsey, 19, Minneapolis (Minnesota)
- Neal Broten, 20, Roseau (Minnesota)
- Steve Christoff, 21, Richfield (Minnesota)
- John Harrington, 22, Virginia (Minnesota-Duluth)
- Rob McClanahan, 22, Saint Paul (Minnesota)
- Mark Pavelich, 21, Eveleth (Minnesota-Duluth)
- Buzz Schneider, 25, Babbitt (Minnesota)
- Eric Strobel, 21, Rochester (Minnesota)
- Phil Verchota, 22, Duluth (Minnesota)
All living Miracle on Ice players to gather in Lake Placid for first time since 1980 Olympics http://t.co/RCJRzMFjDz pic.twitter.com/VaVPmxjRfV
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2015
