Where Are They Now: 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
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Is there a greater team accomplishment in sports history than what the U.S. Olympic hockey team did at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York? When the Americans won the gold medal, they took down the Soviet Union, the most powerful team in the world, in the semifinals. The game become known as the "Miracle on Ice" and is the leader in the clubhouse as the greatest sports upset of all time.
With U.S. head coach Herb Brooks leading a team of college all-stars against the greatest team in the world — the Russians were de facto professionals — the story of the American team has been made into a movie, twice, and is part of sports culture around the world.
But what happened to the team after the Olympics? What paths would their destinies take? Here's a look at the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team after they won the gold, and where they are now.
Ken Morrow, Defenseman
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Born: Oct. 17, 1956 (Davison, Michigan)
High school: Davison High School (Davison, Michigan)
College: Bowling Green State University
Career Highlights: Ken Morrow
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NHL career: New York Islanders (1979-89)
Career highlights: CCHA Player of the Year (1979), four-time All-CCHA (1976-79), four-time Stanley Cup champion (1980-83)
What Happened Next: Ken Morrow
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You might not know his name like some of the other players on the 1980 Olympic team, but Ken Morrow may have been the best player on the team pound for pound.
"Wolfman" was drafted by the New York Islanders after his freshman season at Bowling Green, and after the 6-foot-4, 209-pound defenseman won the gold medal, he went straight to the NHL and was a key player on four consecutive Stanley Cup championship teams.
Morrow has been the director of pro scouting for the Islanders since 1995.
Mike Ramsey, Defenseman
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Born: Dec. 3, 1960 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
High school: Roosevelt High School (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
NHL career: Buffalo Sabres (1979-93), Pittsburgh Penguins (1992-94), Detroit Red Wings (1994-97)
Career Highlights: Mike Ramsey
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NHL career: Buffalo Sabres (1979-93), Pittsburgh Penguins (1992-94), Detroit Red Wings (1994-97)
Career highlights: All-NCAA tournament team (1979), Stanley Cup champion (1997), four-time NHL All-Star (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986)
What Happened Next: Mike Ramsey
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Mike Ramsey was one of nine players on the 1980 team who played for Herb Brooks at the University of Minnesota and was the youngest player on the Olympic hockey team at 19 years old.
Ramsey had one of the best NHL careers of any player from the Olympic team. He played 18 seasons in the NHL, with the first 14 on the Buffalo Sabres and made four NHL All-Star teams. Ramsey only played in the Stanley Cup Final once and retired after two games with the Detroit Red Wings at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. And the Red Wings went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Ramsey moved back to Minnesota after his playing career was over to run a sporting goods store (Gold Medal Sports) and was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Wild from 2000 to 2010.
Mark Johnson, Center
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Born: Sept. 22, 1957 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
High school: James Madison Memorial High School (Madison, Wisconsin)
College: University of Wisconsin
Career Highlights: Mark Johnson
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NHL career: Pittsburgh Penguins (1979-82), Minnesota North Stars (1982), Hartford Whalers (1982-85), St. Louis Blues (1985), New Jersey Devils (1985-90)
Career highlights: NHL All-Star (1984), WCHA Most Valuable Player (1979), WCHA Freshman of the Year (1977), two-time AHCA West All-American (1978, 1979)
What Happened Next: Mark Johnson
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No one was better against the Soviet Union than University of Wisconsin star Mark Johnson, who scored two goals in a 4-3 win and had an assist on the game-winning goal in the gold medal win over Finland.
Johnson then played in the NHL for 12 seasons and was an NHL All-Star in 1984 with the Hartford Whalers.
Johnson has been the women's hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin since 2002, where he's won six national championships and been named National Coach of the Year four times. He also was the head coach for the U.S. women's Olympic team in 2010, leading them to a silver medal.
Rob McClanahan, Left Wing
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Born: Jan. 9, 1958 (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
High school: Mounds View High School (Arden Hills, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Rob McClanahan
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NHL career: Buffalo Sabres (1979-81), Hartford Whalers (1981-82), New York Rangers (1982-83)
Career highlights: All-NCAA tournament team (1977, 1978), two-time All-ECAC (1977, 1978), NCAA champion (1978)
What Happened Next: Rob McClanahan
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Rob McClanahan came to the Olympic team after winning a national championship with the University of Minnesota and U.S. head coach Herb Brooks in 1979.
McClanahan scored what proved to be the game-winning goal for the U.S. in the gold medal game against Finland and scored five goals in seven games at the 1980 Olympics.
His argument with Brooks during intermission of an Olympic game against Sweden, when Brooks goaded an injured McClanahan into coming back into the game, is one of the more famous moments in the team's history.
McClanahan played five seasons in the NHL before becoming an investment banker.
Dave Silk, Right Wing
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Born: Jan. 1, 1958 (Scituate, Massachusetts)
High school: Thayer Academy (Braintree, Massachusetts)
College: Boston University
Career Highlights: Dave Silk
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NHL career: New York Rangers (1979-83), Boston Bruins (1983-85), Detroit Red Wings (1985), Winnipeg Jets (1985-86)
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1978), New England Rookie of the Year (1977), two-time All-New England (1977, 1978)
What Happened Next: Dave Silk
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Dave Silk was one of four players from Boston University on the 1980 Olympic team, alongside college teammates Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig and Jack O'Callahan. Silk was a star in college, helping the Terriers win the 1978 national championship.
Silk played seven seasons in the NHL, then played five more seasons of professional hockey in Germany. Following his playing career, he used his MBA from Boston University and went into finance.
Bill Baker, Defenseman
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Born: Nov. 29, 1956 (Grand Rapids, Minnesota)
High school: Grand Rapids High School (Grand Rapids, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Bill Baker
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NHL career: Montreal Canadiens (1980), Colorado Rockies (1980-82), St. Louis Blues (1982), New York Rangers (1982-83)
Career highlights: WHCA All-American (1979), All-WHCA (1979), CHL Adams Cup champion (1984)
What Happened Next: Bill Baker
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Bill Baker was the captain for Herb Brooks at the University of Minnesota when the Gophers won the national championship in 1979 before making the 1980 Olympic team.
Baker scored the final goal in a 2-2 tie with Sweden, which allowed the U.S. to advance to the medal round. His jersey is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Baker played three seasons in the NHL before he returned to school, becoming a doctor of oral and maxillofacial medicine who specializes in jaw surgeries and soft-palate tissue repairs.
Neal Broten, Center
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Born: Nov. 29, 1959 (Roseau, Minnesota)
High school: Roseau High School (Roseau, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Neal Broten
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NHL career: Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (1980-95, 1997), New Jersey Devils (1995-97), Los Angeles Kings (1997)
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1979), WHCA Rookie of the Year (1979), Hobey Baker Award (1981), Stanley Cup champion (1995)
What Happened Next: Neal Broten
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Neal Broten was an electric goal scorer who won a national championship at the University of Minnesota in 1979. Broten and Canadian goaltender Ed Belfour are the only two players in hockey history to win an NCAA championship, Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup championship.
Broten played 17 seasons in the NHL, where he scored over 50 points nine times and played over 1,000 games, including a 105-point season in 1985-86, when he became the first American to score over 100 points in a single season.
He also was a two-time NHL All-Star and won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, when he scored the title-clinching goal.
Dave Christian, Right Wing
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Born: May 12, 1959 (Warroad, Minnesota)
High school: Warroad High School (Warroad, Minnesota)
College: University of North Dakota
Career Highlights: Dave Christian
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NHL career: Winnipeg Jets (1979-83), Washington Capitals (1983-90), Boston Bruins (1990-91), St. Louis Blues (1991-92), Chicago Blackhawks (1992-94)
Career highlights: NCAA runner-up (1979), NHL All-Star (1991)
What Happened Next: Dave Christian
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Dave Christian was the only member of the 1980 Olympic team from the University of North Dakota. They lost to U.S. head coach Herb Brooks and the University of Minnesota (and many of his Olympic teammates) in the 1979 NCAA championship game.
Christian was playing in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets one week after winning a gold medal, and still holds the NHL record by scoring just 7 seconds into his first NHL game. Christian went on to play 15 seasons and 1,009 career games in the NHL and played in the Stanley Cup Final once, when the Boston Bruins lost to the Edmonton Oilers in 1990.
Christian, who played in the 1991 NHL All-Star Game, wasn't the first one in his family to win a gold medal. His father, Bill Christian, and his uncle, Roger Christian, were both on the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
Steve Christoff, Right Wing
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Born: Jan. 23, 1958 (Springfield, Illinois)
High school: Richfield High School (Richfield, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Steve Christoff
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NHL career: Minnesota North Stars (1979-82), Calgary Flames (1982-83), Los Angeles Kings (1983-84)
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1979), two-time All-ECAC (1978, 1979), All-NCAA tournament team (1979)
What Happened Next: Steve Christoff
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Steve Christoff was one of the most highly recruited high school hockey players of all time coming out of Richfield (Minnesota) High School before starring at the University of Minnesota for Olympic head coach Herb Brooks.
After winning the gold medal, Christoff played five seasons and led the Minnesota North Stars to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to Olympic hockey teammate Ken Morrow and the New York Islanders.
After retiring from hockey, Christoff went to work for Endeavor Air as an airline pilot.
John Harrington, Right Wing
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Born: May 24, 1957 (Virginia, Minnesota)
High school: Virginia High School (Virginia, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota-Duluth
Career Highlights: John Harrington
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: NCAA Frozen Four (1984, as head coach)
What Happened Next: John Harrington
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John Harrington was an underdog all the way. He started as a walk-on at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and eventually made the 1980 Olympic roster.
Harrington was credited with an assist on Mike Eruzione's game-winning goal in the semifinal win over the Soviet Union. Undrafted by the NHL, Harrington played for the U.S. again in the 1984 Olympics.
He was a college assistant for several years before he became head coach at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he coached for 15 years.
Steve Janaszak, Goaltender
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Born: Jan. 7, 1957 (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
High school: Hill-Murray School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Steve Janaszak
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NHL career: Minnesota North Stars (1979-80), Colorado Rockies (1981-82)
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1979), NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player (1979), IHL Rookie of the Year (1981)
What Happened Next: Steve Janaszak
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Steve Janaszak was the MVP of the 1979 NCAA tournament after he led the University of Minnesota to the national championship and was the backup to Jim Craig on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, where he was the only player on the roster who did not play in the Olympics.
Janaszak played four seasons of professional hockey after winning the gold medal, including two in the NHL, then became an investment banker in New York after his career was over.
Jack O'Callahan, Defenseman
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Born: July 24, 1957 (Charlestown, Massachusetts)
High school: Boston Latin School (Boston, Massachusetts)
College: Boston University
Career Highlights: Jack O'Callahan
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NHL career: Chicago Blackhawks (1982-87), New Jersey Devils (1987-89)
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1978), NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player (1978),
What Happened Next: Jack O'Callahan
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Jack O'Callahan starred at Boston University and injured his knee in the 1980 Olympic opener agains Sweden, but returned to play in the "Miracle on Ice" game against the Soviet Union.
O'Callahan played seven seasons in the NHL, mostly for the Chicago Blackhawks, then went into financial services in Chicago following his retirement from hockey.
Mark Pavelich, Center
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Born: Feb. 28, 1958 (Eveleth, Minnesota)
Died: March 4, 2021, 63 years old (Sauk Centre, Minnesota)
High school: Eveleth High School (Eveleth, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota-Duluth
Career Highlights: Mark Pavelich
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NHL career: New York Rangers (1981-86), Minnesota North Stars (1986-87), San Jose Sharks (1991-92)
Career highlights: All-WCHA (1979), All-WHCA West All-American (1979)
What Happened Next: Mark Pavelich
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Mark Pavelich was the son of Croatian immigrants and starred at Eveleth High School before staying close to home to play college hockey for the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Pavelich, who had the assist to Mike Eruzione on the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union, lived a life marked by tragedy. When he was 18 years old, he accidentally killed his 15-year-old friend in a hunting accident. In 1994 his second wife, Kara Burmachuk, died after accidentally falling from the a balcony on the second floor of their home.
Pavelich auctioned off his gold medal for approximately $263,000 in 2014. He was arrested in 2019 for assaulting a neighbor and possession of firearms. Ruled incompetent to stand trial, he was committed to a mental health facility, where he committed suicide on March 3, 2021. He was 63 years old.
Buzz Schneider, Left Wing
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Born: Sept. 14, 1954 (Grand Rapids, Minnesota)
High school: Babbitt High School (Babbitt, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Buzz Schneider
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1974)
What Happened Next: Buzz Schneider
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Buzz Schneider was the oldest player on the 1980 Olympic hockey team. It was actually his second Olympics after playing for the U.S. in 1976.
At the 1980 Olympics, Schneider was part of the famous "Coneheads" line with Mark Pavelich and John Harrington. In seven games on the way to winning the gold medal, Schneider scored five goals and had three assists.
After Schneider retired from hockey in 1983, he was a sales executive for a semi-trailer company in Minnesota before going into real estate. In the 2004 Disney film "Miracle," he was portrayed by his son, Billy.
Eric Strobel, Right Wing
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Born: June 5, 1958 (Rochester, Minnesota)
High school: Mayo High School (Rochester, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Eric Strobel
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1979)
What Happened Next: Eric Strobel
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Eric Strobel was one of the many players from the University of Minnesota's 1979 national championship team to play on the 1980 Olympic hockey squad.
He had a short professional career end when he broke his ankle playing on the Buffalo Sabres' top farm club.
Strobel's father, Art Strobel, played for the New York Rangers.
Bob Suter, Defenseman
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Born: May 16, 1957 (Madison, Wisconsin)
Died: Sept. 9, 2014, 57 years old (Middleton, Wisconsin)
High school: Madison East High School (Madison, Wisconsin)
College: University of Wisconsin
Career Highlights: Bob Suter
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1977), All-WHCA (1979)
What Happened Next: Bob Suter
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At only 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Bob Suter didn't look the part, but he was the closest thing the 1980 Olympic team had to an enforcer. He earned the reputation while winning a national championship at the University of Wisconsin and setting the school record for penalty minutes in 1979.
Suter was the first player off the 1980 Olympic team to die when he had a fatal heart attack at the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, Wisconsin, in 2014. The arena was eventually named after him.
Suter's brother, Gary Suter, played in the NHL from 1985 to 2002 and Bob's son, Ryan Suter, has played in the NHL since 2004.
Phil Verchota, Left Wing
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Born: Dec. 28, 1956 (Duluth, Minnesota)
High school: Duluth East High School (Duluth, Minnesota)
College: University of Minnesota
Career Highlights: Phil Verchota
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: Two-time NCAA champion (1976, 1979)
What Happened Next: Phil Verchota
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Phil Verchota was a football and hockey star at Duluth East High School. He was good enough that he had scholarship offers from the University of Minnesota in both sports.
The aspiring defensive tackle decided to ditch football and won a pair of national championships playing for Herb Brooks with the Gophers before making the 1980 Olympic team and winning the gold medal. He returned as the U.S. captain at the 1984 Olympics.
Verchota retired from hockey after the 1984 Olympics and went into banking, where he eventually became president of First American Bank in Willmar, Minnesota.
Mark Wells, Center
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Born: Sept. 18, 1957 (St. Clair Shores, Michigan)
High school: Lake Shores High School (St. Clair Shores, Michigan)
College: Bowling Green State University
Career Highlights: Mark Wells
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: Two-time All-CCHA (1977, 1979)
What Happened Next: Mark Wells
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Mark Wells was one of two players from Bowling Green to make the 1980 Olympic team, alongside star defenseman Ken Morrow. He played two seasons of minor league hockey after winning the gold medal but never played in the NHL.
Following his hockey career, Wells went to work in the restaurant industry. He suffered a catastrophic injury unloading crates that fractured his spine. After surgery, he wasn't able to work again.
Wells was forced to sell his gold medal to a collector in 2010 for $40,000 to pay for living expenses. It was immediately turned around and sold for $310,000 at an auction.
Jim Craig, Goaltender
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Born: May 31, 1957 (Easton, Massachusetts)
High school: Oliver Ames High School (Easton, Massachusetts)
College: Boston University
Career Highlights: Jim Craig
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NHL career: Atlanta Flames (1979-80), Boston Bruins (1980-81), Minnesota North Stars (1983-84)
Career highlights: NCAA champion (1978), NCAA All-American (1979)
What Happened Next: Jim Craig
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After Mike Eruzione, goaltender Jim Craig is perhaps the most well-known player from the 1980 Olympic team. His heroic performance in the semifinals and finals went down as one of the best performances by a goalie in Olympic history.
Craig played three seasons in the NHL and was charged with "driving to endanger" after a crash on a rural Massachusetts highway left one woman dead and another critically injured in 1982. He was eventually found not guilty after waiving his right to a jury trial and going directly before a judge.
Mike Eruzione, Left Wing
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Born: Oct. 25, 1954 (Winthrop, Massachusetts)
High school: Winthrop High School (Winthrop, Massachusetts)
College: Boston University
Career Highlights: Mike Eruzione
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NHL career: None
Career highlights: IHL Rookie of the Year (1978), IHL Turner Cup champion (1978)
What Happened Next: Mike Eruzione
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The most famous player on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, team captain Mike Eruzione was once described by Ringer podcast host Bill Simmons as "America's houseguest." It was an apt description of the Massachusetts native and former Boston University star who scored the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union.
Eruzione played one season in the IHL and one season in the AHL before the Olympics, but went undrafted by the NHL and never played professionally after the gold medal.
What has Eruzione done since 1980? Mostly he's made a career out of being Mike Eruzione.
Craig Patrick, Assistant General Manager/Assistant Coach
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Born: May 20, 1946 (Detroit, Michigan)
Career highlights: Olympic gold medal (1980), Olympic silver medal (2002)
What Happened Next: Craig Patrick
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Craig Patrick played eight seasons in the NHL and was still competing for the U.S. into his mid-30s before retiring in 1979, when he moved into administration and coaching. He was the assistant general manager for U.S. hockey and the assistant coach for the 1980 Olympic team.
Patrick was the youngest general manager in New York Rangers history before becoming the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1989, winning two Stanley Cup championships with the team.
In a crazy twist, Patrick is one of seven family members who have won Stanley Cups as players, coaches or administrators.
Walter Bush, General Manager
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Born: Sept. 25, 1929 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Died: Sept. 22, 2016, 86 years old (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Career highlights: U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (1980), Hockey Hall of Fame (2000), IIHF Hall of Fame (2009)
What Happened Next: Walter Bush
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Walter Bush was a builder.
He helped build the Central Hockey League, was key in bringing the NHL to Minnesota with the Minnesota North Stars, and was the president of U.S. Hockey for two decades, bringing Herb Brooks in to coach the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. He also was instrumental in adding women's hockey to the U.S. roster of Olympic sports.
Bush died in 2016, at 86 years old.
Al Michaels, Broadcaster
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Born: Nov. 12, 1944 (Brooklyn, New York)
Career highlights: Five-time Sports Emmy Award winner - Outstanding Sports Personality, three-time NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year, Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Television Academy Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame Pete Rozelle Radio & Television Award (2013), Baseball Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award (2021)
What Happened Next: Al Michaels
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Al Michaels is one of the most famous sports broadcasters of all time and called his seventh Super Bowl in 2022. None of that sentence happens without the 1980 Olympics.
Michaels was the voice of the iconic broadcasting moment when the Americans beat the Soviet Union in the semifinals."Do you believe in miracles?! Yes!"
We've been lucky to have those velvety pipes in our lives ever since.
Herb Brooks, Head Coach
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Born: Aug. 3, 1937 (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
Died: Aug. 11, 2003, 66 years old (Forest Lake, Minnesota)
Career highlights: Olympic gold medalist (1980), Olympic silver medalist (2002), three-time NCAA national champion (1974, 1976, 1979)
What Happened Next: Herb Brooks
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No one associated with the 1980 U.S. Olympic team had more motivation than Herb Brooks. He was the last cut as a player on the 1960 Olympic team that won a gold medal.
Brooks became the lynchpin for the 1980 squad in that the team bonded over its shared hatred of him, which was something Brooks did on purpose. Brooks went on to become a head coach for seven seasons in the NHL, mostly with the New York Rangers. He returned to coach the Olympic team at the 2002 Olympics, leading them to a silver medal.
He died in a single-car accident in Minnesota on Aug. 11, 2003. He was 66 years old.