President Donald Trump’s decision to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team during Friday’s signing of the Congressional Gold Medal Act lands with the quiet force of a well-timed check on the ice. It’s a straightforward act of recognition for a group of college kids and amateurs who pulled off one of the gutsiest upsets in sports history, beating the Soviet juggernaut in Lake Placid and reminding a nation what resolve looks like. As a 6-year-old kid in Wichita, Kansas, I didn’t know anything about hockey, but as I gathered to lie down at my grandma Pauline’s house, I’d witness history. Later, I became a supporter of the Detroit Red Wings.
Let’s recall the moment, because it bears repeating. On Feb. 22, 1980, at the Olympic Center’s Fieldhouse in upstate New York, coach Herb Brooks’ ragtag squad faced a Soviet team that had dominated international hockey for years.
🇺🇸 TODAY AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Trump to honor “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team during Congressional Medal Act signing pic.twitter.com/OLxUwB6hdj
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 12, 2025
These weren’t pros; they were kids from places like Eveleth, Minnesota, and Boston University, thrown together against a foe that had routed the U.S. 10-3 in an exhibition at Madison Square Garden just two weeks earlier. The Soviets, fresh off four straight Olympic golds, benched their star goalie Vladislav Tretiak after a first-period tie at 2-2. The Americans trailed 3-2 into the third, but Mark Johnson evened it midway through, and captain Mike Eruzione buried the winner less than two minutes later.
It is an incredible honor for our team to be recognized by the White House today, and to witness today’s Congressional Gold Medal signing. Moments like this remind us how teamwork, resilience, and shared purpose can create a legacy that lasts well beyond the ice. What a moment.🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JtlecK3z5n
— Jim Craig (@JimCraigUSA) December 12, 2025
Two days on, they dispatched Finland for the gold. Al Michaels’ call — “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” — echoed beyond the arena, giving hope to Americans during a time of stagflation, hostages in Iran, and the shadow of Vietnam. That victory wasn’t just about pucks and sticks. It arrived amid Cold War frost, when Soviet might loomed over everything from grain embargoes to proxy wars. Team USA’s win, improbable as it was, sparked a flicker of defiance that rippled into Reagan’s morning in America.
One of the turning points in USA during my lifetime. Statement on American determination that changed from the morass of the late 70’s to the boom of the 1980’s https://t.co/DTPWl8PPyL
— Clay scott (@scottwestacre) December 12, 2025
Nineteen of those players later skated in the NHL, including Johnson, who teamed up with ex-Soviet Slava Fetisov on the New Jersey Devils before facing him in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final. Eruzione hung up his skates after Lake Placid, moving to the broadcast booth for both NHL and Olympic games and working as an assistant hockey coach at his alma mater, Boston University, for three years. Brooks, the architect, died too soon in a 2003 car crash, but his widow and children joined Eruzione, goalie Jim Craig, forward Buzz Schneider, and others at the White House.
“Do you believe in miracles?” This is awesome. Well deserved. https://t.co/YNvTp6JY48
— Chrissy’s Pop Culture Corner™️ (@realpopchrissy) December 12, 2025
ALSO SEE: What Made the Miracle On Ice More than a Sporting Event?
The Press Angered Over USA Hockey in MAGA Hats Completely Miss the Miracle of That Team
As his spokesperson Taylor Rogers put it, Trump sees this as “fueling a resurgence of national pride,” a nod to the team’s role as a prime example of American exceptionalism. After the anti-American rhetoric, destructive open borders policies, and economic drift under the Biden administration, recommitting to these symbols matters. It reinforces that American exceptionalism isn’t some dusty slogan — it’s forged in moments when underdogs refuse to fold. Plus, it was and always will be a reminder that America can join together and celebrate this great country of ours as we head toward to our 250th birthday.
The Left often recoils at such patriotism, preferring narratives of systemic flaws over triumphs of will. Yet here, with no asterisks or caveats, is proof of what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Brooks drilled his boys relentlessly, turning raw talent into unbreakable resolve. That’s a blueprint Washington could study.
Bestowing the Congressional Gold Medal on the 1980 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team is fitting for a president who thrives on bold plays. No one expected the Soviets to crumble that night, just as few saw Trump’s improbable 2024 return coming.
Both remind us: Underdogs win when they skate harder. This ceremony arrives at a time in our country’s story when unity feels scarce. Honoring the Miracle team bridges eras and says we’re still that nation capable of the extraordinary. Believe in miracles? History says yes. And on Friday, America said it again.
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