It’s a cold war on ice this weekend with a bitter rivalry renewed.
All eyes will be on the hockey rink as the United States and Russia go head to head, 34 years after one of the most memorable Olympic moments ever, the “Miracle on Ice.”
Jon Lundin grew up near Lake Placid, he said that game is one of his favorite sports memories.
“Thirty-three years later, this lives as the greatest moment in sports history I didn’t say United States sports history, I’m saying sports history,” Lundin said.
Two teams, the United States and the Soviet Union, one victory a nation will never forget.
That famous rink is now named after Herb Brooks, the fiery but beloved coach of the 1980 team.
Not much has changed here in more than three decades, the seats are still the same, and that scoreboard is the one that showed a United States victory in 1980, even the press boxes are still the same.
“You talk about famous arenas and famous places for the U.S. team, this was home this was the bench area,” Lundin said.
The bench area that held 20 players from the U.S., amateurs in their early 20’s, who were the definition of underdogs as they took on the professional players from the Soviet Union.
But through sheer talent, hard work and a tough-as-nails approach by coach Brooks, they beat the Russians on the road to gold. That game has since gained notoriety as the “Miracle on Ice”.
What happened on the ice at the Herb Brooks arena was really a sight to see. These young men, this ragtag team, was captained by Winthrop native Mike Eruzione.
Eruzione still lives in Winthrop and says that moment was a game changer.
“It’s hard to imagine that that few people could make so much noise. We also talked about the U.S.A., U.S.A. chants, and I believe it started in 1980 with the crowd there and it’s continued today whenever we watch U.S. events,” he said.
He attributes the victory to the trust between his teammates, a bond that continues today.
“We’re going to be together at one of those memorabilia signings, and we’re in the process of putting a golf trip together that we would like to do. Knock on wood, all 20 of us are still around, so that’s pretty good 30-some odd years later,” Eruzione said.
Now as the U.S. faces off with Russia three decades later, it’ll be hard to top the “Miracle on Ice.”
This U.S. vs. Russia game is one of the most talked about games of the 22 Winter Olympics.