Miracles have no shelf life.
The upstate New York Village of Lake Placid, situated deep in the Adirondack Mountains and nearly 300 miles north of downtown Manhattan, there’s a story that no matter how many times it’s shared, the ending always ushers in a chant of national pride—“USA, USA, USA.”
A collection of college hockey players, mainly from Minnesota, and a stern, determined coach, also from the “North Star State,” unified Americans by defeating quasi-professionals representing the then-Soviet Union.
In February 1980, the Soviets—winners of hockey gold in five of the previous six Winter Olympics—were a skate-in to claim another medal. Returning home to “Mother Russia” victorious was expected. Playing out the games was a mere formality some journalists typed.
Head Coach Herb Brooks and the kids he recruited became the proverbial “bump on the ice” in Lake Placid that would trigger the single, greatest rallying cry of patriotism among all walks of Americans the host country has experienced, now closing in on a half century.
Directors Max Gersberg and Jacob Rogal masterfully revisited the hockey highlights of the 1980 Olympics in the 108 minute documentary now streaming on Netflix: “Miracle: The Boys of ’80.” Gersberg and Rogal have carefully fit all the pieces of this storied puzzle that has grown over decades to a global “good versus evil” collision in the eyes of those observing beyond the sporting arena. Of the 20-man roster, 16 players are interviewed. Also offering commentary and sharing family treasures connected to Team USA are the coach’s two children—Danny Brooks and Kelly Brooks-Paradise.
“I happened to be with a group of people in Lake Placid [on Friday] to watch the film,” Danny Brooks told The Epoch Times on Saturday during a phone conversation. “Max found some 16 mm footage that I hadn’t seen before; highlights of the Soviet game in Madison Square Garden, and of the Finland game when we won the gold.”
The storyline of heading into the documentary was clear to Brooks. He tells of knowing how “these guys” felt about his dad, who died in an August 2003 car crash near Lake Forest, Minnesota. Brooks was 66. Still, 46 years after Team USA Captain Mike Eruzione scored the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes remaining in the third period on Feb. 22, 1980, Gersberg and Rogal’s collaboration remains an emotional tug.
Hearing ABC TV’s commentator Al Michaels counting down the final seconds of semi-final medal round clash between Team USA and the Soviets, before asking a worldwide audience—”Do you believe in miracles?” easily brings a tear to those who were in the arena or watching on network TV.
John Harrington, a star forward for four seasons at University of Minnesota-Duluth prior to being selected by Brooks for the 1980 Olympic squad, was 22 years old during the “Miracle” skate at Lake Placid. Speaking with The Epoch Times by phone this past weekend while vacationing in Florida, Harrington admits that watching the film of the ’80 Olympic Games still sends him into an emotional tizzy.
“I watched the film on Friday with my wife, and I said, ‘Holy smokes.’ I smiled and I felt excited. It was so much to take in, looking back, how we as a team won the medal. All happy emotions. What an amazing story, even after 46 years,” he said.
Harrington, 68, retired in 2024 after coaching Minnesota State–Mankato’s women’s hockey team for nine years.
“Miracle: The Boys of ’80” showcase team members reminiscing, while sitting inside the 7,700-seat Olympic venue, on the very bench they occupied during their triumphant romp to claim gold, touring the locker room that they occupied during their stay in New York’s Essex County, and retracing their steps walking along Lake Placid’s Main Street as they did in 1980 greeting well-wishers.
Four decades after Team USA became the “Darling’s of America,” Brooks tells of learning new side stories surrounding the team, while attending the Olympic Games as a 12-year-old with his younger sister and mom Patti.
“I didn’t know the story about how Mike [Eruzione] borrowed money from his uncle for his family to be in Lake Placid, and at the games. That was a nice touch,” he said.
Brooks says he and his sister had considerable input on the “Miracle” project. Labeling his father as being “very organized,” the Brooks children supplied photographs, notes, and speeches that were saved by the coach.
“[Gersberg and Rogal] did a phenomenal job in the production of ‘Miracle.’ Going back in time kind of blows me away. Dad was 42 in 1980. He was almost 15 years younger than I am now. It’s hard to comprehend. The players treated me like a younger brother. Our country got better because of what took place in Lake Placid. I like to think [America] became unified behind the team,” Brooks added.
In a few years, the 50th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, a renewed interest in what was supposed to be just another amateur hockey game in rural New York is sure to spark. Most will need to be reminded that Team USA earned the gold by defeating Finland and not the Soviets. Many will be unaware of how real the “Cold War” was between the two perceived dominant superpowers of the time.
With any luck, the duo of Gersberg and Rogal still have some unseen reels of hockey film lying in their attics, and a few more unasked questions for the “Boys of ’80,” to put a bow on arguably sport’s greatest upset possibly of all-time.
Until then, “Miracle” is a wonderful antidote for any season and a feel good story deserving of a heartfelt salute.
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