Beating the Russians was by far the most important/significant GeoPolitical event of the early 80’s - it restored hope to the people! We snapped out of the ‘malaise’ the Carter Admin purposefully steered us towards…. We were down trodden - beating Russia restored faith in the American Spirit …. It’s time to replicate this era … it was a golden time to be alive!!
It truly was. The US team had lost to the Russians 10-1 at Madison Square Garden just 10 days earlier. It was a bunch of college kids against the greatest hockey team ever assembled. Tretiak was impenetrable and the kids knocked him out of the game.
Do we remember the moment Jim Craig was draped in ‘Old Glory’ … in tears, looking for his father - a truly magical moment: a father who had recently lost his wife / and a son who recently lost his mom …connecting in front of the whole world - a beautiful moment to emphasize family, love for one another …. Truly a magical time and a golden moment for sure!
I love hockey as a sport, too young to see this live but love the story and the movie was great. That said, I literally don’t believe anything we’ve seen happen over the course of the past century is real anymore lol
What a great reminder! Inspire the populace and you can avert world war. Russia and US have both thrived since this game. But we are in the doldrums of 2023. Who will be our inspiration to avert the next potential war?
I had just turned 16. Great Grandpa had died a couple days earlier and the family had been at the funeral home for 2 days. Mom let me go home with one of my buddies and we watched with his Dad. Nobody knew that the game was already over when it started on TV at 7pm that night. I come from a big Hockey family. We all play. Hockey is a lifestyle in Michigan. It is family time. Like I imagine BB is in Indiana or football in Texas. With everything going on at that time this was an incredible night. One of my fondest memories growing up.
One of those Russian players, Vladislav Fetisov, would go on to help my Red Wings win their first Stanley Cup in a generation. He played D with the Russian Five line. Federov, Fetisov, Larionov, Konstatinov and Kozlov.
I was watching the game in a crappy hotel room in Seward, Nebraska, drinking Falstaff beer. It was a great night.
You probably had a Braniff Airlines ticket for the way home too! :-)
Falstaff !!!!!! It’s been 45 years since I saw that beer !!!! More great memories Hahahaha - thank you 🙏.
Remember the bottle caps had those puzzles on the inside? Ya know the pictogram ones? Like eye heart ewe?
Beating the Russians was by far the most important/significant GeoPolitical event of the early 80’s - it restored hope to the people! We snapped out of the ‘malaise’ the Carter Admin purposefully steered us towards…. We were down trodden - beating Russia restored faith in the American Spirit …. It’s time to replicate this era … it was a golden time to be alive!!
It was a Miracle
It truly was. The US team had lost to the Russians 10-1 at Madison Square Garden just 10 days earlier. It was a bunch of college kids against the greatest hockey team ever assembled. Tretiak was impenetrable and the kids knocked him out of the game.
Do we remember the moment Jim Craig was draped in ‘Old Glory’ … in tears, looking for his father - a truly magical moment: a father who had recently lost his wife / and a son who recently lost his mom …connecting in front of the whole world - a beautiful moment to emphasize family, love for one another …. Truly a magical time and a golden moment for sure!
Like it was yesterday.
I love hockey as a sport, too young to see this live but love the story and the movie was great. That said, I literally don’t believe anything we’ve seen happen over the course of the past century is real anymore lol
I’d believe it’s scripted at this point
What a great reminder! Inspire the populace and you can avert world war. Russia and US have both thrived since this game. But we are in the doldrums of 2023. Who will be our inspiration to avert the next potential war?
I had just turned 16. Great Grandpa had died a couple days earlier and the family had been at the funeral home for 2 days. Mom let me go home with one of my buddies and we watched with his Dad. Nobody knew that the game was already over when it started on TV at 7pm that night. I come from a big Hockey family. We all play. Hockey is a lifestyle in Michigan. It is family time. Like I imagine BB is in Indiana or football in Texas. With everything going on at that time this was an incredible night. One of my fondest memories growing up.
One of those Russian players, Vladislav Fetisov, would go on to help my Red Wings win their first Stanley Cup in a generation. He played D with the Russian Five line. Federov, Fetisov, Larionov, Konstatinov and Kozlov.
WOW!!!
I have been thinking about this a lot!
I remember that game.
Those were the good ole days.
https://teamusa.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1086152