President Donald Trump will honor members of the 1980 Olympic men's ice hockey team with Congressional Gold Medals during a bill-signing ceremony at the White House on Friday, according to multiple reports.
The unlikely team, which consisted of amateurs and college players, overcame incredible odds to defeat the Soviet Union — then the world's dominant force in hockey — during the hockey tournament semifinals in Lake Placid, New York.
The upset victory propelled the team to a gold medal and generated a resurgence of patriotism in a nation then grappling with the Cold War, the Iran hostage crisis, and economic stagflation.
Captain Mike Eruzione, goaltender Jim Craig, and forward Buzz Schneider will attend, as well as 10 additional players and family members of the team's late coach, Herb Brooks, according to a White House official.
"President Trump will honor the legendary 1980 Olympic men's ice hockey team whose 'Miracle on Ice' resulted in a historic and symbolic victory against the Soviet Union," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement obtained by Politico. "This triumph fueled a resurgence of national pride as Americans across the country watched Team USA unexpectedly take home the Gold Medal."
"No one is more committed to honoring American greatness and patriotism than President Trump," Rogers added.
The ceremony, which occurs 45 years after Eruzione scored the game-winning goal against the Soviets, comes less than two months before the 2026 Winter Olympics are set to kick off in Italy.
CNN reported that Trump previously recognized the team during a 2020 campaign rally in Las Vegas, welcoming them on stage and calling the U.S.-Soviet showdown "one of the greatest moments in the history of sports." The team had been in town to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their win.
Congress reportedly passed a law in September stipulating three medals to honor the "Miracle on Ice" team, with one to be on display at the Lake Placid Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, one at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum in Eveleth, Minnesota, and one at the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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