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USA hockey wins first gold medal in 46 years on exact anniversary of 'Miracle on Ice' game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
February 22nd might go down as the greatest day in the history of the United States' national men's hockey program.
On Sunday, the U.S. secured a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics by taking down Canada 2-1 in overtime, with Jack Hughes' scoring the game-winning goal in the extra period to secure the win. In the first Olympics with NHL players participating since 2014, plenty of professional stars helped guide the U.S. to gold.
In fact, exactly 46 years prior to Team USA's triumph over Canada in Milan, the U.S. had its famous "Miracle on Ice" victory that eventually led to its last men's hockey gold medal.
Here's what to know about the "Miracle on Ice" victory, with the U.S. returning to the Olympic hockey throne on its anniversary.
MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule
When was 'Miracle on Ice' game?
- Feb. 22, 1980
The "Miracle on Ice" game, when the United States upset the Soviet Union during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, on Feb. 22, 1980.
The 1980 Olympic gold medal was just the second in history for Team USA -- a total that lasted until 2026, when Hughes' goal on Sunday secured a top finish in Milan.
MORE: Where is the "Miracle on Ice" team now?
What was 'Miracle on Ice' game?
The "Miracle on Ice" game was a matchup between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics, in which the U.S. famously came in as a heavy underdog, but won 4-3 for one of the biggest Olympic upsets ever.
Coming into the 1980 Winter Olympics, the Soviet Union had a men's hockey powerhouse, being a four-time defending Olympic gold medalist program that boasted plenty of professional talent with experience in international competition. Meanwhile, the United States' unit was consisted of primarily amateur players who hadn't played internationally much, if at all.
With the youngest team in the tournament, the United States held on for a 4-3 win over a dominant Soviet Union team in the first game of the medal round, with Al Michaels' "Do you believe in miracles?" call becoming iconic.
One of the common misconceptions is that the United States' "Miracle on Ice" win was the gold-medal game. It was not -- men's hockey at the 1980 Olympics was still a round-robin format for the medal round, and the U.S. vs. USSR matchup didn't have gold on the line.
The format of the men's hockey tournament was in two stages, and the U.S. vs. Soviet Union matchup was each team's first game of the second stage, the "medal round." Only four teams -- the top two performing units from each of the two groups in the first round -- reached the medal round. The medal round matchups were decided by pairing the top teams who had not yet played each other, and the United States met the Soviet Union to decide which team would play for gold.
The United States went on to win gold, pulling out a gutsy win over Finland on Feb. 24, 1980, to complete its underdog run. However, it should be known that gold wasn't yet a guarantee after beating the Soviet Union, as the tournament was dictated by total "points" (two for wins, one for tie, none for losses).
The "Miracle on Ice" upset has gone down as one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century, as it led to an unlikely United States hockey team winning Olympic gold in 1980.
MORE: Mike Eruzione talks 2026 U.S.-Canada gold medal game
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