A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, Oct. 8, aims to award U.S. Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” USA Hockey Team. The squad defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union team in Lake Placid, New York, in the 1980 Winter Olympics, against the backdrop of the Cold War. The team would eventually go on to win the gold medal against Finland days later.
The bipartisan legislation would create and place the medals at three locations. One would be put on display at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota. Another medal would be showcased at the Lake Placid Olympic Center and a third medal would be at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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The push to get the team recognized comes as members of the iconic hockey squad have died in recent years.
The NHL commissioner threw his weight behind the effort, calling the team’s run “perhaps the most memorable and impactful achievement in the history of athletics.”
USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher also urged fans to get behind the proposal.
Rep. Pete Stauber, R, Minn., introduced the bill, and said that he wants the legislation pass in time for the 45th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice” on Feb. 22, 2025.
