| | Nothing in the game of hockey quite compares to the thrill of winning a gold medal, says former Team USA captain Mike Eruzione.
To help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the United States' shocking upset of the Russians in the 1980 Olympic games, Eruzione visited ESPN.com to tackle user questions. He shared his feelings on winning that gold medal and why he never played in the NHL. He also talked about today's game as compared to back then and offered his opinion on professionals playing in the Olympics.
| |  | | Do you believe in miracles? |
If you missed Eruzione's Feb. 23 chat, an edited transcript follows:
Scott McNey: How big a role do you believe your team played in a popularization of hockey in the United
States? Do you believe that your team showed NHL and other professional coaches and scouts
that U.S. college players can compete at any level?
Mike Eruzione: I think our team played a big role. Obviously some places were always hockey hot beds, but if
you look at the expansion of teams in places like Florida and Texas, then yes, we created a lot of
opportunity and opened a lot of eyes to hockey and what a great game it is.
JCunningham: How much did you train, from about 14 years old on, to be able to perform that well at hockey?
Mike Eruzione:
Fourteen is when I started to get stronger and was able to shoot harder. I didn't train a great deal,
I played a lot of sports, went running, and played basketball. We didn't have rollerblades then, so I only
skated in the wintertime. Most of my training was just playing other sports. Shooting pucks in the
back yard was about the only hockey training I did.
Michael Fredette: I imagine that the weeks following the Olympics were frantic, but after the media and national
spotlight left, were you ever left wondering, "What now?". Was there a difficult stage for you in
the following weeks and/or years?
Mike Eruzione:
I think in my case it wasn't difficult at all. I stayed involved with it for, I guess almost 20 years
now. I think my teammates had to move on and concentrate on the teams they were playing with.
But for me, it has been nothing but a positive experience.
David in Japan: Are you involved in hockey at all these days in Boston?
Mike Eruzione: I'm involved a little with Boston U. My two boys skate so I help out with the high school team
when I can. I also have an 11-year-old who's pee-wee team I'll be coaching next year.
Ben Russell: What do you think about NHL players playing in the Olympics?
Mike Eruzione:
I'm not a big fan of it. I wish we could go back to the format it used to be. Giving our kids a
chance to represent their country. But the games of today are not the same as the games of those
days. There is a much more professional attitude about the games today. But if that is the route
they want to take, I will still root for the guys that are there. But I would rather see the college
players.
Samiano: After seeing teammates Ken Morrow and Neal Broten lifting the Stanley Cup, did you ever regret
your decision to pass on the opportunity to win the Cup yourself?
Mike Eruzione:
No. Never once. To me, Neil and Kenny were younger and they had other goals to attain. To me
the Olympic gold medal is the greatest thing you can achieve.
Thomas See: Is the movie "Miracle on Ice" a fairly good representation of what really happened on the road to the
gold? I was only 5 years old when it happened, but it still sticks in my mind like it was yesterday.
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ERUZIONE'S FILE
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Feb. 22 marks the 20th anniversary of the United State's improbable win over Russia in the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, forever remembered as the 'Miracle on Ice.' Mike Eruzione found the back of the net with 10 minutes left in the game to break a 3-3 tie, and the United States held on for a 4-3 victory on Feb. 22, 1980. It was one of the biggest upsets in sports history as The Soviet Union had won eight of the previous nine Olympic golds. The U.S. squad went on to defeat Finland to claim the gold medal. During the 1980 Olympics Eruzione scored three goals in seven games and had two assists. Eruzione pondered his future immediately after the historic event. "It's a hard decision to make, but I just don't think I could play in the National Hockey League with the same enthusiasm as I did in the Olympics," he said at the time. "I want to be remembered as Mike Eruzione, captain of the U.S. Olympic team. I do not want to be remembered as a guy who played in the NHL for a few games and then got sent to the minors." Eruzione retired soon after and now works in various capacities for Boston University.
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Mike Eruzione: I would say it is 50/50, maybe 60/40 accurate. Some of it was exaggerated a little. I think some
of it was poetic license. But the end of it is real footage so that is probably the best part of it.
Jim: Did Herb keep a really short leash on the team, or did you get to see some of the other
event sites and hang out in Lake Placid? The place is small, but really cool.
Mike Eruzione:
We could do whatever we wanted to do. He told us not to get too caught up in things, he didn't
want us standing out in the cold a lot, but he let us have a lot of freedom. It wasn't a tight leash but
it wasn't a really long one either.
Tommy Chambers: How was the reaction when you and your teammates looked over at the Russian bench and saw
that Tretiak, one of the greatest goalies ever, had been pulled?
Mike Eruzione:
There wasn't a major reaction. We were told going into the game that he was hurt. When the first
two goals went in, we thought maybe he was hurt. But as the game progressed, it didn't matter
who was in goal.
Doug: Has Russian hockey changed now as compared to then?
Mike Eruzione: I think the dividing of the country is the big change. They have three or four different teams now
that compete instead of just one. They have become more physical than they used to be and they
are bigger. Before they had small guys who could scoot. Now they have big guys who can
scoot.
John: I have an eight-year-old who is just finishing his first season at the mite level and has had a great deal
of personal success. What advice can you give me to keep this going? The kid shows a great deal
of potential.
Mike Eruzione:
Continue to give him opportunities to play. Get him involved in other sports to get away from the
rink once in awhile. I don't think games are as important as developing skills like passing, stick
handling, etc. I would suggest a short season of games and some skill sessions to improve that
part of his game.
Richard Cherry: Have you, or any of the players, published any memoirs about your season on the National
Team? 'Miracle on Ice' was good -- but it was also Hollywood.
Mike Eruzione:
No. There was one book written called "One Goal" by John Powers. That was the only one we
had any involvement with.
Chris in Hartford: What memorabilia did you keep from the '80 Olympics?
Mike Eruzione:
There wasn't much to have. I have my uniform, skates, helmet, and both jerseys. I have my sweatsuit
from the closing ceremonies and I think the cowboy hat and the jacket that we wore in the
opening ceremonies.
David: After you beat the Soviets in the semis, how did you guys get to sleep? How did the team turn
its focus on the final game?
Mike Eruzione: It was hard to get to sleep that night. The next morning in practice, Herb brought us down to earth
quick with the hardest practice we had ever had. I think the way Herb handled it, screaming at us
and getting us back to where we needed to be, made the difference and got us ready for the next
game.
I want to thank everyone for your questions and your interest in me and my teammates. It's nice to
know people still remember and still enjoy it. Thank you. | |
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