Books on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Surprisingly there is a dearth of books on the history of the 1980 Miracle On Ice Hockey Team. While there is no shortage of movies and documentaries on the historic events at Lake Placid, books specifically focused on the tournament and the team are in short supply.
There is more to understand about the team than through the books sctricly focused on 1980. There are biographies of Herb Brooks, the head coach and mastermind of the team. Behind the scenes, Lou Vairo was instrumental to the teams success, and of course Kenny Morrow’s historic career is catapulted with his selection for the team and performance in the Olympics.
The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey
Best Quote: “Mac was the kind of guy who would go 110 percent brushing his teeth in the morning.”
Summary: Coffey’s book takes a deep dive into each player on the roster, describing their back story and what made their contributions to the team unique. Coffey does this as he walks the reader through the game minute by minute, period by period. In this sense each time there is a critical play, a save, or a goal, the author has described the players personal history, and what led them to that moment in the game. Coffey also tells the story of some key Soviet players, and treats Valeri Kharlamov, Vladislav Tretiak, and Slava Fetisov with immense respect, which further highlights the accomplishment of the U.S. team.
The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold Medal–Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Mike Eruzione
Best Quote: “We didn't play a prevent defense once we got ahead of the Russians. Most teams did that, and the Russians just crushed them. We kept skating. We won because our conditioning was completely off the charts."
Summary: Part story of the 1980 Miracle on Ice, part autobiography of team captain Mike Eruzione. The book begins by offering insight to Eruzione’s upbringing in Winthrop Massachusetts, which he credits for his blue-collar work ethic. It was this work-ethic, and the desire to out hustle and out work everyone that would become paramount in guiding the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey team to their victory over the Soviets, and their eventual gold medal. Indeed, by presenting his upbringing first, the author can tell a better story about his relationship with Herb Brooks, and help to explain why Eruzione was chosen as team captain. This relationship lays the foundation for for insights into Herb Brook’s coaching style and the decisions he made to build and train the team. Throughout the book, Eruzione highlights the achievements of his teammates, further solidifying the whole team concept, where no one individual player was placed above another.
Miracle in Lake Placid: The Greatest Hockey Story Ever Told by John Gilbert
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Going for the Gold: How the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team Won at Lake Placid by Tim Wendel
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Miracle on Ice by Red Smith
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