Miracle on Ice 1981

Hard-driving, no-nonsense coach Herb Brooks pushes 68 of the best college hockey players through a grueling summer training camp in Colorado Springs in 1979, with the tough goal of trimming the roster to 20 for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Brooks and his assistant coach Craig Patrick must navigate pressure from players’ agents and lawyers who chase professional contracts, even as a standout goaltender Jim Craig worries that pursuing a pro career could strain his family’s finances if he skips the Olympics.

Brooks understands the financial strain and vows to secure a corporate sponsor to keep the team funded, adding a pragmatic edge to the mission that is as much about money as it is about skill.

After the roster is posted, the team tests itself in Europe, chalking up eight wins and two losses in exhibition play. A pre-Olympic tune-up against the Minnesota North Stars reveals there is still growth to be made before facing the formidable Soviet Union, a team of veteran professionals who had dominated the last four Games. For their final pre-Olympic test, the U.S. faces the Soviets at Madison Square Garden; the 10–3 defeat stings, but it hardens the resolve of a squad that refuses to back down. The newly installed captain, Mike Eruzione, leads by example as the group refuses to be daunted by the odds and uses the setback as fuel for improvement.

In the Olympic tournament, the Americans pull off a dramatic opening against Sweden, overcoming a late deficit to tie in the dying minutes and signaling that an upset may be possible. Wins over Czechoslovakia and Norway cement the belief, and a triumph over West Germany adds to the momentum before the medal rounds. The real test arrives in the nerve-wracking clash against the Soviets, where the score is tied after the first period and the U.S. trails by one after two, but the team summons extraordinary heart in the final stretch to seize the lead and the game. The crowd erupts as the victory reverberates through the arena, and the squad edges closer to the ultimate goal of gold in a showdown with Finland.

The film closes with the actual medal ceremony footage, celebrating the triumph and later reflections on the players’ lives after the Games, punctuated by narration from ABC Sports broadcaster Al Michaels that frames the historic win in a broader context for American hockey.