Elliott: Forty years later, 'Miracle on Ice' still has a lot of meaning to players and fans

[TomSea]

Elliott: Forty years later, 'Miracle on Ice' still has a lot of meaning to players and fans
By Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times

The stories always flow when members of the 1980 U.S Olympic hockey team gather for one occasion or another, but the beauty of it is that the flow also goes between the storytellers and their audience. That's why a hockey tournament that took place 40 years ago in the isolated mountain town of Lake Placid, N.Y., has enough meaning to be remembered 40 years from now and beyond.

Each time a player describes the moment coach Herb Brooks warned them they'd take it to their graves if they didn't follow up their upset of the mighty Soviets with a gold-medal victory over Finland in the finale, someone will approach that player — sometimes in gratitude and often in awe — to share memories of where they were when the Americans used their legs and their hearts to overcome the skillful Soviets and then heeded Brooks' words and won that gold medal.

"They want you to know," forward John Harrington said Saturday, the 40th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" upset of the Soviets. "I was walking down the street today, and two people came up with USA stuff on and told me, 'Hey, my whole basement is Miracle stuff, and can I take a picture with you?'"

Read more at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/elliott-forty-years-later-miracle-on-ice-still-has-a-lot-of-meaning-to-players-and-fans/ar-BB10hKQf

A big day in ice hockey yesterday over this 40th anniversary of this. One of the big events in sports history.

[Applewood]

Don't even like hockey, but I remember being caught up in the excitement and the thrill of the win.  Young people might think, "big deal," but given the times (the US and the Soviet Union were enemies), and the fact that the Soviets dominated the sport, it really was. 

The one part I remember best was the US goalie, Craig, frantically looking for his father in the stands after the win.  I'm trying to find a video of that part and when the two were reunited, but so far, no luck.  I do remember when Craig found his father, it made me cry.

40 years.  Those players made us all proud.