Peace Garden News

Forty-five years after the “Miracle on Ice,” a bipartisan push is underway in Congress to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team with the Congressional Gold Medal. The legislation, introduced by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and cosponsored by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), follows unanimous approval from the House of Representatives, which saw support from over 300 cosponsors.

The effort marks the anniversary of a significant moment in American sports history. During the Lake Placid Olympic Games in 1980, a young group of mostly college athletes representing Team USA defeated the Soviet Union National Team, which had been four-time defending Olympic gold medalists. The victory, ending with a score of 4-3, was later called the “Miracle on Ice.” Two days after their win against the Soviets, Team USA secured the gold medal with a comeback victory over Finland.

Senators Cramer and Klobuchar wrote in an op-ed for The Hill:

“In 1980, the world was fraught with political division, economic shifts, and global conflict. The Cold War loomed large, American hostages were being held in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had stoked international anxiety, and the United States was in the midst of a painful recession at home.

Yet at this time of uncertainty, a single hockey game brought us together as Americans. On February 22, 1980, a team of young athletes, mostly college students, took the ice in Lake Placid and achieved the impossible against the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union National Team.

The Soviets were four-time defending Olympic gold medalists, stacked with seasoned professionals. Team USA, both the youngest-ever U.S. national team and the youngest in the tournament, stunned the world with a 4-3 victory in what became known as the ‘Miracle on Ice.’

Two days later, the team secured the gold medal with a third period comeback win against Finland. Their improbable run gave Americans a renewed sense of pride and unity during a time of deep division and uncertainty.

To commemorate the 45th anniversary of this iconic moment, we introduced the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act to award the Congressional Gold Medal to members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team.

It is only fitting that we honor this team’s achievement. It had a lasting impact on American history and on hockey in our country. Once enacted three medals will be displayed at: The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado; The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth Minnesota; And at Lake Placid Olympic Center—commemorating this greatest sports moment of our nation’s twentieth century.

As National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman once said: ‘The most special moments in sports actually transcend just what happens on that playing surface.’ In 1980—the Miracle on Ice was one such moment—when for one night there were no partisan divides or regional differences—only shared celebration for what Americans can achieve together.”

The senators also highlighted broad bipartisan support for their initiative: “The House has already passed this bipartisan legislation unanimously—with nearly three hundred cosponsors—and now we ask our colleagues to join us in honoring this historic team—and honoring that spirit they inspired forty-five years ago at Lake Placid Olympics—with swift bipartisan passage.”

If approved by Congress and signed into law, three medals would be placed at key locations associated with U.S. hockey history: Colorado’s U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum; Minnesota’s U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame; and New York’s Lake Placid Olympic Center.