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The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal-Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
On the fortieth anniversary of the historic Miracle on Ice, Mike Eruzione--the captain of the 1980 U.S Men's Olympic Hockey Team, who scored the winning goal--recounts his amazing career on ice, the legendary upset against the Soviets, and winning the gold medal.
It is the greatest American underdog sports story ever told: how a team of college kids and unsigned amateurs, under the tutelage of legendary coach--and legendary taskmaster--Herb Brooks, beat the elite Soviet hockey team on their way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. No one believed the scrappy Americans had a real shot at winning. Despite being undefeated, the U.S.--the youngest team in the competition--were facing off against the four-time defending gold medalist Russians. But the Americans' irrepressible optimism, skill, and fearless attitude helped them outplay the seasoned Soviet team and deliver their iconic win.
As captain, Mike Eruzione led his team on the ice on that Friday, February 22, 1980. But beating the U.S.S.R was only one of the numerous challenges Mike has faced in his life. In this inspiring memoir, he recounts the obstacles he has overcome, from his blue-collar upbringing in Winthrop, Massachusetts, to his battle to make the Boston University squad; his challenges in the minor leagues and international tournaments to his selection to the U.S. team and their run for gold. He also talks about the aftermath of that stupendous win that inspired and united the nation at a time of crisis in its history.
Eruzione has lived a hockey life full of unexpected twists and surprising turns. Al Michaels' famous call in 1980--do you believe in miracles? YES!--could have been about Mike himself. Filled with vivid portraits--from his hard-working, irrepressible father to the irascible Herb Brooks to the Russian hall of famers Tretiak, Kharlamov, Makarov, and Fetisov--this lively, fascinating look back is destined to become a sports classic and is a must for hockey fans, especially those who witnessed that miraculous day.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
It is the greatest American underdog sports story ever told: how a team of college kids and unsigned amateurs, under the tutelage of legendary coach--and legendary taskmaster--Herb Brooks, beat the elite Soviet hockey team on their way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. No one believed the scrappy Americans had a real shot at winning. Despite being undefeated, the U.S.--the youngest team in the competition--were facing off against the four-time defending gold medalist Russians. But the Americans' irrepressible optimism, skill, and fearless attitude helped them outplay the seasoned Soviet team and deliver their iconic win.
As captain, Mike Eruzione led his team on the ice on that Friday, February 22, 1980. But beating the U.S.S.R was only one of the numerous challenges Mike has faced in his life. In this inspiring memoir, he recounts the obstacles he has overcome, from his blue-collar upbringing in Winthrop, Massachusetts, to his battle to make the Boston University squad; his challenges in the minor leagues and international tournaments to his selection to the U.S. team and their run for gold. He also talks about the aftermath of that stupendous win that inspired and united the nation at a time of crisis in its history.
Eruzione has lived a hockey life full of unexpected twists and surprising turns. Al Michaels' famous call in 1980--do you believe in miracles? YES!--could have been about Mike himself. Filled with vivid portraits--from his hard-working, irrepressible father to the irascible Herb Brooks to the Russian hall of famers Tretiak, Kharlamov, Makarov, and Fetisov--this lively, fascinating look back is destined to become a sports classic and is a must for hockey fans, especially those who witnessed that miraculous day.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Audio CD
First published January 28, 2020
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About the author
Mike Eruzione
4 books8 followersMike Eruzione is the director of special outreach at his alma mater, Boston University. He has been a television commentator, a motivational speaker, and a hockey coach. He lives in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
February 9, 2025
4.5 stars
"If you have some talent and a lot of character and heart, you can do some incredible things." -- Mike Eruzione, on page 68
Author Eruzione, with an assist by Neal Boudette, has penned his memories of being part of what the veteran ABC sports broadcaster Jim McKay referred to as the group of "huge underdogs" in the winning The Making of a Miracle. During the 1980 Winter Olympics, an upstart American squad of hockey players - a mixture of young men from both Massachusetts and Minnesota, with a host of regional differences in culture and playing style - were assembled by the cannily no-nonsense coach Herb Brooks to challenge the Soviet domination (consecutively taking home gold from '64 through '76) of the sport that had existed throughout the several prior competitions. Eruzione tells his life story - he grew up in a large, loving, and boisterous Italian-American family in a suburban town on the outskirts of Boston, and initially toiled away in a scrappy minor-league team in Toledo, Ohio - before being named (much to his surprise) the U.S. team captain, and then helped lead this group of young twentysomethings (many of whom then 'graduated' to solid careers in the NHL) to gold medal victory in Lake Placid, New York. Eruzione comes across as a happy-go-lucky yet hard-working man who truly seems appreciative for the many good people and good opportunities that were in his life.
"If you have some talent and a lot of character and heart, you can do some incredible things." -- Mike Eruzione, on page 68
Author Eruzione, with an assist by Neal Boudette, has penned his memories of being part of what the veteran ABC sports broadcaster Jim McKay referred to as the group of "huge underdogs" in the winning The Making of a Miracle. During the 1980 Winter Olympics, an upstart American squad of hockey players - a mixture of young men from both Massachusetts and Minnesota, with a host of regional differences in culture and playing style - were assembled by the cannily no-nonsense coach Herb Brooks to challenge the Soviet domination (consecutively taking home gold from '64 through '76) of the sport that had existed throughout the several prior competitions. Eruzione tells his life story - he grew up in a large, loving, and boisterous Italian-American family in a suburban town on the outskirts of Boston, and initially toiled away in a scrappy minor-league team in Toledo, Ohio - before being named (much to his surprise) the U.S. team captain, and then helped lead this group of young twentysomethings (many of whom then 'graduated' to solid careers in the NHL) to gold medal victory in Lake Placid, New York. Eruzione comes across as a happy-go-lucky yet hard-working man who truly seems appreciative for the many good people and good opportunities that were in his life.
February 5, 2020
The Making of a Miracle is not only a page turner for anyone who loves hockey; it's a heartwarming reminder that the American Dream is still alive and well if it is met with hope and optimism,
character and grit. A great read for all ages.
character and grit. A great read for all ages.
February 1, 2020
The Making of a Miracle is a heart-warming story of just how far blue-collar grit, determination and a little bit of luck can take you. In addition to the thrilling insider account of the greatest sports upset in American history, the story of Mike Eruzione’s unusual upbringing in a loving extended family evokes laughs as well as tears. A great read!
February 4, 2020
This book revisits the 1980 USA Gold medal-winning Olympic hockey team as experienced through their captain, Mike Eruzione. This was one of the most uniting events in our country in my lifetime. Great book.
January 18, 2023
This was my first “fun read” in quite some time and it was an enjoyable one. I was familiar with the Miracle on Ice story already, but the book was primarily focused on the Captain, Mike Eruzione and his story both leading up to and following the 1980 games. Overall it is a good read, emphasizing hard work, selflessness, and teamwork. Eruzione won’t captivate you as a masterful storyteller – it seems very choppy at times; but what will draw you in is the personal events of his life that contribute to making an unlikely hero. Worth the read to anyone who enjoys sports and a good, true underdog story.
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November 11, 2022First one to finish this book club book!
July 23, 2024
This book was simply beautiful. Simple writing, easy to understand, deeply humble, a wonderful story. I could not recommend enough.
February 26, 2020
I know not all my "book" friends are hockey enthusiasts, but here is why you should read this book.It is the story of the fabled US Men's Hockey Team who beat Russia... during a period of time when beating Russia was ... oh wait... that could be now. Anyway, it was 1980. Mike Eruzione was the captain and that was really all I knew about him. But in this book, the authors bring us back in time to the moment when the craziness in the world stopped for just a moment, so we could all remember what it meant to be American. Wow. Wouldn't we all like to return to that moment? Mike had a lot of "almost didn't" events in his life, but what he did have was passion, energy and guts! He cared about everything- hockey, his friends, his coaches, teammates, but most of all his family. Kudos to the authors who take us back - not just to the play by play moments of each hockey game, but also inside the Eruzione family household in Winthrop, Massachusetts, which at times reminded me of a cross between a tenement in Naples, Italy with a scene from the Archie Bunker show.But mostly I felt present as events propelled Mike from, what might have been a quiet life in Winthrop, to one of the most defining moments of our time. I laughed, cried, and even felt angry. The power in this narrative reached into my own heart and made me think about what makes America great. I recommend you take this journey too. Not a fan of hockey? You will be by the time you finish reading this book!
July 22, 2021
The 1980 US Olympic Hockey Teams victory over the Russians was among the most exciting sports events I ever watched-from the common room at my univeristy's residential college. I loved the movie that came out in the mid 2000s, and this memoir from the captain of the team was a great and fast read. It was interesting to learn about Eruzione's background, including his family, his introduction to hockey, his life on the team, and his life after the Olympic victory.
January 20, 2021
Being a child of the 80s, I’ve always been fascinated with the Miracle on Ice. Every winter I watch the movie Miracle. I love the underdog story and being from Minnesota, I have always been a hockey fan. With that being said, I was a little nervous to read this book, but when I came across it in the local library I decided I needed to give it a try.
The reason I was nervous about reading this book is because Mike Eruzione always seemed like the person who was cashing in on being part of this famous team. After reading this book, my opinion of Mr. Eruzione couldn’t have changed more. He seems like a genuine good guy who happened to score possibly the biggest goal in hockey history. You can tell in reading this book that Mr. Eruzione’s has a passion for hockey and being a part of the 1980 Olympic hockey team. He grew up poor, with his dad working multiple jobs to support the family, in a big house with his aunts and uncles living in the same house both above and below him. In fact today, he lives less than 100 feet from his childhood home.
Mr. Eruzione has a number of great stories to tell. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a lot of the story in Miracle, the movie, were actually true. He starts off with his humble beginnings, and leads you through his life as he experiences one of the greatest stories in sports. He readilly admits he has benefited from scoring the goal to beat the Russians, and being on that famous team. While he has benefited, he takes great pride in being on the team and is conscious of what it means a member of that stories team.
Whether you are a fan of a good underdog story or just need some restoring of American Pride in the world we live in today, this book is a must read. The stories are well told, and the passion from the author is obvious. This book is a 5 star that I couldn’t put down.
The reason I was nervous about reading this book is because Mike Eruzione always seemed like the person who was cashing in on being part of this famous team. After reading this book, my opinion of Mr. Eruzione couldn’t have changed more. He seems like a genuine good guy who happened to score possibly the biggest goal in hockey history. You can tell in reading this book that Mr. Eruzione’s has a passion for hockey and being a part of the 1980 Olympic hockey team. He grew up poor, with his dad working multiple jobs to support the family, in a big house with his aunts and uncles living in the same house both above and below him. In fact today, he lives less than 100 feet from his childhood home.
Mr. Eruzione has a number of great stories to tell. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a lot of the story in Miracle, the movie, were actually true. He starts off with his humble beginnings, and leads you through his life as he experiences one of the greatest stories in sports. He readilly admits he has benefited from scoring the goal to beat the Russians, and being on that famous team. While he has benefited, he takes great pride in being on the team and is conscious of what it means a member of that stories team.
Whether you are a fan of a good underdog story or just need some restoring of American Pride in the world we live in today, this book is a must read. The stories are well told, and the passion from the author is obvious. This book is a 5 star that I couldn’t put down.
February 25, 2021
Like a lot of people, I’ve felt a special connection to the Miracle on Ice for as long as I can remember. Growing up playing hockey in a town that didn’t have an ice rink, in a school district that didn’t have a hockey team, in a country that counts hockey as the fourth major sports league (and maybe it’s not even that anymore), the Miracle on Ice was meaningful to me because it presented itself as objective evidence of hockey’s significance, and when one’s identity is intimately bound with a sport that few appear to care about, such evidence quickly acquires totemic status. When I eventually came to see the HBO documentary about the 1980 Olympics, I saw a rare instance where my thirteen-year-old version of reality – that hockey was of world-altering importance – presented as fact. What that doc. showed was that a team of rank amateurs – college students, some of whom were still teenagers – conquered the Soviet hockey Goliath, and by so doing hastened the end of the Cold War by evidencing the inherent superiority of Western democracy over Eastern socialism. Who could resist the romanticism of this event? Who could deny its outsized impact on the country? Hockey rules; take that Mom and Dad. In short, these players were as close to sports heroes as I ever had. But, of course, I’m not thirteen anymore, and hockey isn’t the world-informing entity it once was for me. And so I entered Eruzione’s memoir with the twin emotions of excitement – oh, to be a kid again – and fear – don’t blow it, Mike, my childhood is on the line.
As a book, this pretty much encapsulates what Wallace writes about Tracy Austin’s Beyond Center Court and about sports memoirs in general: what we want conveyed to us through books like these is what it’s like to be a great athlete, what great athletes felt when they accomplished the things that made them great, a sense that the emotional complexity that I feel when witnessing athletic greatness is shared by the great athletes themselves. But then there’s this: as a group, great athletes don’t also have the equipment to convey these deep, emotionally profound aspects of the human experience. That’s what novelists do. And novelists, as a group, aren’t athletic. So what Eruzione writes here (or what is ghost written for him) is always already going to fail to do what I want it to do, and knowing ahead of time that that’s true makes me feel dumb for criticizing it for disappointing me for not doing what I knew it couldn’t. But here goes anyway.
The page-by-page content here is the totally enjoyable story of Mike growing up in a big family home in Winthrop, MA, playing sports, getting good at hockey, getting onto BU’s varsity team on a fluke, parleying his college hockey experience into a major league tryout and a minor league contract, playing in the minors, playing in the hockey World Championships, getting recruited for the 1980 Olympic team, making the 1980 Olympic team, being awarded the captaincy, winning the Miracle on Ice, winning the gold medal, becoming a professional inspirational speaker, and writing a book about it. That’s all great, and much of it we already know. Within these pages too, though, are arrestingly intense moments that cry out for introspective investigation that just never arrives. What do I mean? On back-up goalie Steve Janaszek’s brutally thankless position on the team (having received a gold medal despite not playing a single minute during the Olympics), we’re told that Janny was a great teammate who pushed Jim Craig to stay at his best. On being one of the seven out of twenty players to not go on to a pro career, we’re told that he doesn’t have any regrets. On never knowing whether he was actually elected captain by the team (that is, whether he was actually voted captain (Herb told them to vote and then told them who won) or whether Herb decided he’d be captain to alleviate any perception that he was biased to his own MN players by making an east coast player the captain regardless of how the players voted), we’re told that it doesn’t matter to him and that he was honored either way. On the actual experience of beating the Soviets, and then the Finns, we’re told that it was incredible and that he couldn’t believe it. On being known his entire life as the guy who did that thing when he was twenty-five (a real-life “Pistol” Pete Disellio), we’re told that he’s happy people recognize him. On Herb Brooks as a father who didn’t love him, we’re told that Brooks was a kind man who presented a hard exterior to get the best from his players. On being a husband and father, we’re told that he made his wife wait for a long time before he married her and that he wishes he was around his kids more as they grew up. On his accomplishment being used to support various political narratives, we’re told nothing. On the juxtaposition between his own real-life socialist experiences of growing up in a three-family home and of playing for a rabidly team-oriented team and the tacit acceptance of the Soviets as evil for their socialist politics, we’re told nothing.
So, this is the Good Morning America interview of memoirs. I know I’m being harsh, that no one can ever live up the idealism of a child, that we ask too much of athletes, and that I shouldn’t criticize this book for not delving into the philosophical mire that I’m always preoccupied by—that I, like Mike, should just step back and enjoy the story. But I can’t. There’s too much untapped potential here. And isn’t the realization of potential exactly what made the Miracle on Ice possible in the first place?
As a book, this pretty much encapsulates what Wallace writes about Tracy Austin’s Beyond Center Court and about sports memoirs in general: what we want conveyed to us through books like these is what it’s like to be a great athlete, what great athletes felt when they accomplished the things that made them great, a sense that the emotional complexity that I feel when witnessing athletic greatness is shared by the great athletes themselves. But then there’s this: as a group, great athletes don’t also have the equipment to convey these deep, emotionally profound aspects of the human experience. That’s what novelists do. And novelists, as a group, aren’t athletic. So what Eruzione writes here (or what is ghost written for him) is always already going to fail to do what I want it to do, and knowing ahead of time that that’s true makes me feel dumb for criticizing it for disappointing me for not doing what I knew it couldn’t. But here goes anyway.
The page-by-page content here is the totally enjoyable story of Mike growing up in a big family home in Winthrop, MA, playing sports, getting good at hockey, getting onto BU’s varsity team on a fluke, parleying his college hockey experience into a major league tryout and a minor league contract, playing in the minors, playing in the hockey World Championships, getting recruited for the 1980 Olympic team, making the 1980 Olympic team, being awarded the captaincy, winning the Miracle on Ice, winning the gold medal, becoming a professional inspirational speaker, and writing a book about it. That’s all great, and much of it we already know. Within these pages too, though, are arrestingly intense moments that cry out for introspective investigation that just never arrives. What do I mean? On back-up goalie Steve Janaszek’s brutally thankless position on the team (having received a gold medal despite not playing a single minute during the Olympics), we’re told that Janny was a great teammate who pushed Jim Craig to stay at his best. On being one of the seven out of twenty players to not go on to a pro career, we’re told that he doesn’t have any regrets. On never knowing whether he was actually elected captain by the team (that is, whether he was actually voted captain (Herb told them to vote and then told them who won) or whether Herb decided he’d be captain to alleviate any perception that he was biased to his own MN players by making an east coast player the captain regardless of how the players voted), we’re told that it doesn’t matter to him and that he was honored either way. On the actual experience of beating the Soviets, and then the Finns, we’re told that it was incredible and that he couldn’t believe it. On being known his entire life as the guy who did that thing when he was twenty-five (a real-life “Pistol” Pete Disellio), we’re told that he’s happy people recognize him. On Herb Brooks as a father who didn’t love him, we’re told that Brooks was a kind man who presented a hard exterior to get the best from his players. On being a husband and father, we’re told that he made his wife wait for a long time before he married her and that he wishes he was around his kids more as they grew up. On his accomplishment being used to support various political narratives, we’re told nothing. On the juxtaposition between his own real-life socialist experiences of growing up in a three-family home and of playing for a rabidly team-oriented team and the tacit acceptance of the Soviets as evil for their socialist politics, we’re told nothing.
So, this is the Good Morning America interview of memoirs. I know I’m being harsh, that no one can ever live up the idealism of a child, that we ask too much of athletes, and that I shouldn’t criticize this book for not delving into the philosophical mire that I’m always preoccupied by—that I, like Mike, should just step back and enjoy the story. But I can’t. There’s too much untapped potential here. And isn’t the realization of potential exactly what made the Miracle on Ice possible in the first place?
February 22, 2021
This was a fun read. Three things stood out to me. First the tightness of the Eruzione clan. Mike moved kiddie corner from his parents home when he got married. The three story homestead was a crowded bundle of family life. The picture of Mike drinking Miller High Lifes with his parents in an RV the eve of the Russian game is a classic.
Second Herb Brooks. His coaching style and his “Herbies” brought a gold medal. He would call Mike years later to “catch up” and do all the talking.
Probably most unique though is how the legacy of the Miracle on Ice is still alive today as a seminal event in American history. We certainly could use a uniting event like this today in our country. It’s lasting legacy has kept Mike employed while most of his teammates continued their careers in hockey.
Second Herb Brooks. His coaching style and his “Herbies” brought a gold medal. He would call Mike years later to “catch up” and do all the talking.
Probably most unique though is how the legacy of the Miracle on Ice is still alive today as a seminal event in American history. We certainly could use a uniting event like this today in our country. It’s lasting legacy has kept Mike employed while most of his teammates continued their careers in hockey.
December 31, 2024
I would give this five stars because growing up i have seen the movie Miracle so many times i can’t even count. I was excited to read more of the “behind the scenes” with this and it was so good. There were so many parts as i was reading i kept picturing the scenes from the movie. Even knowing the outcome of the game against the Soviets i was still stressed reading for some reason ahah. Overall it was a great book to end 2024 with!!
November 19, 2024
This was an Audiobook for me. It was good to get Mikes experience from his younger days, to during the Olympics and life after. A lot of great moments during this book that brought back memories of things that happened during my childhood.
Probably a book I will listen to again! Do you believe in miracles???
Probably a book I will listen to again! Do you believe in miracles???
June 5, 2024
I’m trying to read every single book about the 1980 team. As an autobiography this is definitely solid. Really easy to read and the prefect length. Also I played hockey with the co-author’s daughter 🫨
January 25, 2021
Very good read! I would highly recommend for those who love hockey and patriotism!
January 26, 2021
This is such an inspiring story! Definitely a new favorite.
January 13, 2023
Great sports story and memoir. Really well written.
February 12, 2025
“I dare you to be better than you are” -Herb Brooks
February 7, 2020
I was born in 80 about thirty miles from LP, so this is a really important childhood legend. It was interesting and debunked a lot of the myth that grew up around the team. Very much enjoyed this.
February 9, 2020
Do you believe in miracles? A resounding yes! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by captain, Mike Eruzione. It brought back wonderful memories of my youth watching the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York and rooting for the Miracle on Ice Hockey team. I can remember where I was when they beat the Soviet Union and went on to win the Gold Medal. Our nation came together and celebrated the greatness of these young men, their coaches, and our country. I adored reading about his big Italian family and his experiences growing up in a small town in Massachusetts. An amazing tribute to his parents, family, friends, wife, team, coaches and hometown. A must-read!
September 30, 2023
This book brought back so many memories of all the hockey tournaments I played in on that Lake Placid Ice. Watching my favourite movie of all time Miracle. But this time I got to hear a real life recount from the captain himself. It was super cool to read about the team, in a non over dramatized Disney point of view. Although I would not say it was my favourite hockey book of all time. So I would give it 4 stars.
June 14, 2025
Great book. Reading the story brought me back to being a 10 year old hockey player and fan watching those games in my den. Always fascinating to hear from the perspective of someone who actually lived the experience.
December 22, 2021
Could not put down. Fastest I've ever read a book. Well done captain.
July 6, 2025
I read this book like 5 years ago when it came out, but I really enjoyed it! It offered a new perspective on one of my favorite historical events and was truly inspiring.
March 20, 2025
When we left Montreal, QC, on our 2019 Fall Color (RV) Tour I told my wife that I wanted to go to Lake Placid, NY to see the site of “The Miracle on Ice”. We changed our plans and drove through the Adirondack Mountains at the amazing peak (10/02/2019 - unforgettable) of the autumn change of colors to the same RV Park that “Jeep” Eruzione stayed at when he watched his son skate at the 1980 winter Olympics. The next day we continued driving through the Adirondacks and quaint town of Lake Placid. What an exciting life story of the captain of the 1980 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team from a large extended family (he grew up in a 3-story three family house with his two aunts and families living in the other two units) and small town of Winthrop, MA. A great story of a blue color family and an individual willing to do his best to achieve his goals. I wasn’t into hockey, so I don’t remember where I was when the U.S. beat Russia, however, I instantly became a fan, and I do remember where I was (Anaheim Hills, CA playing golf) when the U.S. defeated Finland for the Gold. The book was narrated by George Newbern.
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May 15, 20232.5 CBC round 3. Rambo selection. Category: the Olympics
June 25, 2020
I saw this book advertised on Facebook. So did my wife, who bought it for me for Father’s Day. It was a nice respite from some of the heavier reading I have recently done. As the 1980 Team was so very impactful to me as an 11 year old growing up in a patriotic home, I was, and still am, captivated by the team’s accomplishments. I still get a smile on my face that is trying in vain to mask the emotions still generated by Al Michael’s call, “Do you believe in Miracles? YES!”
Now that full disclosure of my potential bias has been established, my critique of this light-hearted personal account by Mike Eruzione was really enjoyable. I have seen all the YouTube videos, own the HBO produced biopic, have see ‘Miracle’ about ten times, so the story is not new to me. Learning more about Eruzione’s personal life was fun and if he truly is as self-effacing as his persona is, as well as the rest of that team, it is a testament to what can be accomplished when a group of people with and work-ethic put the common goal ahead of personal accomplishments.
Of course, he tells his story growing up in Winthrop, Mass, and how his hockey career intertwines with the forming if the 1980 team in late summer 1979. But, he gives clues as to why each of the guys were chosen for the initial squad. They we great players, but maybe not the ‘best’. They were lunchpail kids willing to work harder than most players could endure. That common trait is what made them collectively uncommon.
He talks a lot about Herb Brooks and how hard he pushed them; also about how he had a better understanding of Herb AFTER the Olympics were over. Another thing is how he and the whole team didn’t realize how much the entire country was/has been affected by the ‘we beat the Russians’ vibe created until leaving Lake Placid. During the games, with the absence if 24/7 news, smart phones and social media, they had no idea how captivated we were as a nation around that team.
It is not going to win a Pulitzer, but If you are looking for a light read to lift your spirits, I suggest you give it a chance!
Now that full disclosure of my potential bias has been established, my critique of this light-hearted personal account by Mike Eruzione was really enjoyable. I have seen all the YouTube videos, own the HBO produced biopic, have see ‘Miracle’ about ten times, so the story is not new to me. Learning more about Eruzione’s personal life was fun and if he truly is as self-effacing as his persona is, as well as the rest of that team, it is a testament to what can be accomplished when a group of people with and work-ethic put the common goal ahead of personal accomplishments.
Of course, he tells his story growing up in Winthrop, Mass, and how his hockey career intertwines with the forming if the 1980 team in late summer 1979. But, he gives clues as to why each of the guys were chosen for the initial squad. They we great players, but maybe not the ‘best’. They were lunchpail kids willing to work harder than most players could endure. That common trait is what made them collectively uncommon.
He talks a lot about Herb Brooks and how hard he pushed them; also about how he had a better understanding of Herb AFTER the Olympics were over. Another thing is how he and the whole team didn’t realize how much the entire country was/has been affected by the ‘we beat the Russians’ vibe created until leaving Lake Placid. During the games, with the absence if 24/7 news, smart phones and social media, they had no idea how captivated we were as a nation around that team.
It is not going to win a Pulitzer, but If you are looking for a light read to lift your spirits, I suggest you give it a chance!
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July 16, 2024”Maybe that was a miracle in itself. It just looked like the team had become so close that they could all fit together in this little space.”
Had a lot of fun reading Mike Eruzione’s memoir. He just seems like a truly humble, down-to-earth guy, and I enjoyed getting to learn about his background and hear his perspective of the “Miracle on Ice.” Definitely recommend if you 1) like hockey, 2) have vivid memories of watching the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, and/or 3) have seen the 2004 movie Miracle more times than you’d care to admit. Take a wild guess which category I fall into 😂 can’t wait to read The Boys of Winter next and become 10x more insufferable to watch Miracle with. But in case you don’t ever get to experience the joy of watching it with me while I recite trivia facts at you the entire time, here are a few of my favorite things that I learned from this book:
•The team made up a ritual of going out onto the ice in the same order for every game they played together - starting with Jim Craig and ending with Eruzione - and they went up to accept their gold medals in that same order
•Mark Johnson and Rob McClanahan got a little Christmas tree for their hotel room at a December tournament, and someone on the team kept moving it to random places around the hotel to mess with Mac
•Dave Christian would sneak under the table at fundraising banquets to try to light guys’ shoes on fire
•OC showed up to the post-gold medal game press conference absolutely wasted after passing his drug test
•In the years after the games, when Eruzione was doing a lot of public speaking gigs, Herb Brooks would bust his chops by saying “Mike Eruzione believes in free speech, but he never gave one”
•And of course, the moment when Eruzione beckoned to the rest of the team and they all squeezed onto the gold medal podium together was truly a spontaneous one.
Time to go watch Miracle for the forty billionth time!
Had a lot of fun reading Mike Eruzione’s memoir. He just seems like a truly humble, down-to-earth guy, and I enjoyed getting to learn about his background and hear his perspective of the “Miracle on Ice.” Definitely recommend if you 1) like hockey, 2) have vivid memories of watching the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, and/or 3) have seen the 2004 movie Miracle more times than you’d care to admit. Take a wild guess which category I fall into 😂 can’t wait to read The Boys of Winter next and become 10x more insufferable to watch Miracle with. But in case you don’t ever get to experience the joy of watching it with me while I recite trivia facts at you the entire time, here are a few of my favorite things that I learned from this book:
•The team made up a ritual of going out onto the ice in the same order for every game they played together - starting with Jim Craig and ending with Eruzione - and they went up to accept their gold medals in that same order
•Mark Johnson and Rob McClanahan got a little Christmas tree for their hotel room at a December tournament, and someone on the team kept moving it to random places around the hotel to mess with Mac
•Dave Christian would sneak under the table at fundraising banquets to try to light guys’ shoes on fire
•OC showed up to the post-gold medal game press conference absolutely wasted after passing his drug test
•In the years after the games, when Eruzione was doing a lot of public speaking gigs, Herb Brooks would bust his chops by saying “Mike Eruzione believes in free speech, but he never gave one”
•And of course, the moment when Eruzione beckoned to the rest of the team and they all squeezed onto the gold medal podium together was truly a spontaneous one.
Time to go watch Miracle for the forty billionth time!
October 26, 2021
I listened to this book on mp3 in my car.
Like most people of that generation, I can remember when the U.S. Olympic hockey team, composed of amateurs, beat the U.S.S.R. 4-3 in Lake Placid in 1980. It was a thrilling moment for the country and for hockey fans.
This book made me look up old videos of that game, which was not broadcast live on TV. I still get goosebumps when Al Michaels says "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" at the end of the game.
Mike Eruzione was the captain on that hockey team. His recollections of the creation of the team, its training under coach Herb Brooks, and the games at the Olympics give a first-hand account of what transpired in the lead-up to the gold medal.
But the book really is about the importance of family in Mike's life. He grew up in Winthrop, MA in a large extended family. His story of how he overcame the odds to eventually play at Boston College make for interesting reading as it relates not only the truth of being in the right place at the right time but knowing when to seize an opportunity when it comes your way. His own recruitment onto the Olympic team is its own miracle of timing.
The book also is about the values that his family instilled in him. In particular he was encouraged to have a strong work ethic and never to quit.
His post-Olympic life did not include hockey as a career as he had been drafted by the Whalers who would not tender him an NHL contract but wanted him in the minors. Mike was in demand as a speaker and made motivational speaking his career.
The story ends with Mike having his own family and reflection on the course of his own life.
This probably will not interest those who are not into hockey. But for hockey fans, it is a must-read.
Like most people of that generation, I can remember when the U.S. Olympic hockey team, composed of amateurs, beat the U.S.S.R. 4-3 in Lake Placid in 1980. It was a thrilling moment for the country and for hockey fans.
This book made me look up old videos of that game, which was not broadcast live on TV. I still get goosebumps when Al Michaels says "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" at the end of the game.
Mike Eruzione was the captain on that hockey team. His recollections of the creation of the team, its training under coach Herb Brooks, and the games at the Olympics give a first-hand account of what transpired in the lead-up to the gold medal.
But the book really is about the importance of family in Mike's life. He grew up in Winthrop, MA in a large extended family. His story of how he overcame the odds to eventually play at Boston College make for interesting reading as it relates not only the truth of being in the right place at the right time but knowing when to seize an opportunity when it comes your way. His own recruitment onto the Olympic team is its own miracle of timing.
The book also is about the values that his family instilled in him. In particular he was encouraged to have a strong work ethic and never to quit.
His post-Olympic life did not include hockey as a career as he had been drafted by the Whalers who would not tender him an NHL contract but wanted him in the minors. Mike was in demand as a speaker and made motivational speaking his career.
The story ends with Mike having his own family and reflection on the course of his own life.
This probably will not interest those who are not into hockey. But for hockey fans, it is a must-read.
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