Last February the village of Lake Placid celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, which Sports Illustrated called the top sporting event of the 20th century. New York Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer announced this week that the Senate has approved legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 1980 hockey team that captured Olympic glory.
“Eleven seconds. You got 10 seconds. The countdown’s going on right now. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
On February 22, 1980, the U.S. Olympic Hockey team defeated the Soviet Union, 4 to 3, as ABC’s Al Michaels made his iconic call.
It’s a moment that Lake Placid residents vividly remember.
In a 2020 interview, Sandy Caligiore recalled being in the arena calling the game for a Saranac Lake radio station.
“I was in the actual press box whereas TV was on the other side of the rink,” Caligiore said. “Being in the press box it was full and it shook! That plus all the people that were in the building that night, well above the official capacity, the place was very, very loud. It was exciting, memorable.”
“That night was the most amazing night that I can ever remember in sports.”
Forty-five years later former Lake Placid Mayor Robi Politi still has vivid memories.
“The building, the ’80 rink, was just resonating with chanting and people stomping their feet. The building was shaking. I remember walking outside after the game and Main Street was packed with thousands of people. It was like a carnival atmosphere when you got out into the street. There were just people dancing and people cheering and people hugging each other. It was amazing. It’s just such an uplifting experience. I’ll never forget it,” Politi said.
The team went on to defeat Finland for the gold medal. Now, the U.S. Senate has approved legislation sponsored by Democrat Charles Schumer to award the team the Congressional Gold Medal. It is the nation’s highest civilian award recognizing distinguished achievements. Recipients include General George Washington, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, and Robert Frost.
Chadd Cassidy is Vice President of Operations for the Olympic legacy sites at the Olympic Regional Development Authority.
“Obviously the 80 team has had a huge impact on Lake Placid, the North Country, the Olympic Authority and the world with what they accomplished back in 1980 against the Soviets, winning the gold medal. And we’re ecstatic about being able to accept one of the medals of honor to the Olympic Museum and we’re proudly going to display it in our museum for all of our visitors to see,” Cassidy said.
The Congressional Gold medals will be placed on display at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Minnesota, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado and the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. President Donald Trump must first authorize the medals, and then they will be designed and minted.
Cassidy notes that individual team members will not receive the medals.
“The Congressional medal was awarded for the team for what they accomplished as a group in 1980 and the impact that they’ve had since,” Cassidy explained. “This kind of solidifies the fact that these men will be remembered forever and their legacy will be imprinted in our museum forever for what they accomplished. Not just what they did in 1980 but the lasting effect that they’ve had on our society, our culture and our sports history. Not just our sports history because this really transcended sport. Our history as a country that people still talk about today and this really just solidifies it.”
Decades after he opened the Games, the words of 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Committee President Bernard Fell seem to presage the Miracle on Ice hockey team’s legacy.
“We New Yorkers are honored to host these games and may your dreams and expectations rise and unfold with them.”
