Thirty-two years ago today, a bunch of 20-somethings (and a couple of teenagers) shocked the world. The U.S. Olympic hockey team beat the Soviet Union 4-3 in the greatest sports upset ever. I won’t try to qualify that. It really isn’t up for argument. Nothing can beat the Miracle on Ice.
When this anniversary rolls around, I always think of the book “One Goal,” co-written by Arthur Kaminsky, who was the agent for many of the players on the US team. The book, now out of print, gave a more in-depth look at the team’s construction and what happened during the games than anything else. I’m lucky enough to have a copy.
People who have seen the movie “Miracle” or heard the apocryphal stories about Coach Herb Brooks know he handled the team with the skill of a master motivator. “One Goal” goes even deeper, chronicling the personnel moves Brooks used to keep his team ready for the Olympics.
The book shows how he dangled an Olympic berth in front of Aaron Broten, brother of the team’s star center Neal Broten. Aaron, who eventually had a Hall of Fame NHL career, played at the University of Minnesota. Brooks had taken the year off from coaching at UM. When the Olympic team came to Minneapolis to play an exhibition against the Gophers, the younger Broten dressed for the US, not his college.
When US captain Mike Eruzione struggled during pre-Olympic competition, Brooks made sure to let the guy who eventually scored the winning goal against the Russians know that the kid at Minnesota could easily take his place. This game continued until the players almost revolted in the weeks leading up to the Olympics. Brooks pitted the players against him the entire time, hoping to motivate them above their actual skill level.
If you can find a copy of “One Goal” anywhere, grab it.