By: Evan Michael | Follow me on Twitter @00EvanMichael
On this day in hockey history, a group of future Bruins players (two pictured above front-and-center) played a pivotal part in perhaps the most memorable, if not magical, game of hockey in the last fifty years: the “Miracle On Ice” of February 22nd at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
As Al Michaels’ famous call reminds us every time we hear it, “do you believe in miracles… YES!” And yes, did a ragtag group of Boston-area boys ever make their mark on the game, and on all of sports, as a result of it.
While perhaps the most recognizable of those Massachusetts natives was Boston University’s own Mike Eruzione, his professional hockey career surprisingly never blossomed in Beantown (nor anywhere else unfortunately).
It was fellow Terrier Jim Craig, Team USA’s gallant goaltender, who leapt from the Red, White and Blue to eventually the Black N’ Gold not long after beating the Soviets en route to winning his gold medal (over Finland in the finals).
The quotes from the Edmonton Journal from the Summer of ’80 (as tweeted above) perfectly punctuate what players from that miraculous team meant to the Bruins brass at the time:
“United States Olympic and former Boston University goaltender Jim Craig says he has modeled himself after Boston Bruins’ goalie Gerry Cheevers. Boston general manager Harry Sinden says Cheevers admired Craig’s goaltending techniques when the Americans won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. The two goaltenders became teammates… when Sinden acquired Craig.”
Associated Press – Boston
The other notable Team USA names that rang a familiar Boston bell following Lake Placid’s historical heroics were wingers Dave Silk and Dave Christian, both featured in an NBC Sports retrospective during the 40th anniversary of the “Miracle On Ice.”
“Thirteen of the 20 US players would go on to play in the NHL, including three for the Bruins: Craig had a 23-game stint with Boston in 1980-81, and a Bruins stop was part of long NHL careers for Silk (1983-85 with the B’s) and Dave Christian of Minnesota (1989-91 with the B’s).
NBCSportsBoston.com
For more historical content, including our “This Day in Bruins History” and “Boston Bruins Birthday” series, check back in with Team BN’G weekly.
Do you believe in articles… YES!
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