Miracle on Ice 1980 revived American confidence; 2026 men’s hockey gold medal entertained a nation

OPINION:

The staging of the American hockey team during the State of the Union was pretty good. The president made good use of the human props, and everyone got to chant “U-S-A” a bunch of times to get that out of their system.

At the same time, the professional chattering class kept talking about this Olympic victory in the same breath as the win in 1980.

But they are very, very different animals.

To make it as simple as possible, the gold medal run made by the American hockey team in 1980 at Lake Placid was the single most important thing that happened that year, with the possible exception of Ronald Reagan’s victory in the presidential election.

It’s important to understand that those two things are knotted together, with one (the win in hockey) essential to making the other possible.

That may be an overstatement, but if it is, then it is only a very mild one. The simple reality is that the hockey win coalesced and accelerated what had been a recrudescent patriotism that led directly to President Reagan’s victory less than nine months later. If that hockey team loses, then there is no telling what happens.

If you ask those who were alive and have a living memory of 1980 — especially those not involved in politics — just about everyone goes to that moment, and with good reason.

In 1979 and 1980, the United States appeared to be disintegrating. The economy was terrible. The inflation rate was 13.5%. The average mortgage rate was almost 14%. Unemployment hovered above 7%. Layoffs had run through core industries such as steel and automobiles.

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The Russians seemed clearly ascendant in the Cold War, having invaded Afghanistan on Christmas Eve late 1979, about seven weeks before the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid started. Our allies in Europe talked openly about disarmament.

Led by a well-meaning but hopelessly incompetent President Carter, we allowed the new regime in Iran to take 52 American hostages in November 1979 — just three months before the Winter Olympics. Team Carter’s response seemed to be to wear sweaters and hope for the best.

If you lived at the time, then it is easy to remember and understand why there were those (including this writer) who were legitimately concerned that the United States might not survive the 1980s. There was a pervasive sense of decline, defeat and despair.

Against that terrible backdrop came Herb Brooks and his hockey team comprised of amateurs. They were not even necessarily the most gifted amateurs. Only 13 of the 20 members of the team went on to play in the NHL. The team was seeded seventh of 12 teams.

The Soviet Union’s hockey team, on the other hand, was considered the best in the world, and with good reason. The Russians had won gold medals in five of the previous six Winter Olympics. Like the Red Army, they seemed unbeatable.

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Despite all that, the team coached by Herb Brooks — the final player cut from the last American team to win the gold in 1960 — got hot and won six games in 12 days, including the victory against the Russians in the medal round.

When they won that game, there were (true) reports of drivers pulling over to the side of the road to listen to the last frantic minutes and then hugging other drivers who had stopped when the victory was secured.

The psychological impact of the victory over the Russians in 1980 cannot be overestimated. If that American team had lost, then there is no telling what might have happened. Maybe the country wouldn’t have rallied behind an unabashed patriot who harked back to our most elemental moments as a growing nation.

Maybe we would have gracefully accepted our decline as a world power and let the Russians have Afghanistan — or Western Europe, for that matter.

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None of that happened. Instead, there was a surge of patriotism that carried Reagan to the presidency, and the rest is history. Rep. Pete Stauber, Minnesota Republican, understands. He authored the 2025 legislation that awarded the 1980 team congressional gold medals and said simply: “I’m so proud to honor the exceptional 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and their enduring impact on our great nation.”

Sports Illustrated identified the game against the Russians as the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. I’m not sure whether it was the “greatest” sports moment, but I am certain it was the most important sports moment of the last century.

• Michael McKenna is a contributing editor at The Washington Times.