Sec. 2. FINDINGS

568 words·~3 min read·/statute-compilations/comps-18314/sec-2

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## SEC. 2 FINDINGS Congress finds the following: ####

(1)The United States Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and known as the 1980 Lake Placid games, from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York. ####

(2)Team USA, comprised of collegiate players, defeated the defending Olympic champion the Soviet Union 4-3 on February 22, 1980, in the final round of the 1980 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey tournament. ####

(3)The 1980 United States Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team roster included— #####

(A)Bill Baker (Grand Rapids, Minnesota); #####

(B)Neal Broten (Roseau, Minnesota); #####

(C)Dave Christian (Warroad, Minnesota); #####

(D)Steve Christoff (Richfield, Minnesota); #####

(E)Jim Craig (North Easton, Massachusetts); #####

(F)Mike Eruzione (Winthrop, Massachusetts); #####

(G)John Harrington (Virginia, Minnesota); #####

(H)Steve Janaszak (Saint Paul, Minnesota); #####

(I)Mark Johnson (Madison, Wisconsin); #####

(J)Rob McClanahan (Saint Paul, Minnesota); #####

(K)Ken Morrow (Flint, Michigan); #####

(L)Jack O’Callahan (Charlestown, Massachusetts); #####

(M)Mark Pavelich (Eveleth, Minnesota); #####

(N)Mike Ramsey (Minneapolis, Minnesota); #####

(O)Buzz Schneider (Grand Rapids, Minnesota); #####

(P)Dave Silk (Scituate, Massachusetts); #####

(Q)Eric Strobel (Rochester, Minnesota); #####

(R)Bob Suter (Madison, Wisconsin); #####

(S)Mark Wells (St. Clair Shores, Michigan); and #####

(T)Phil Verchota (Duluth, Minnesota). ####

(4)The “Miracle on Ice” United States and Soviet Union final round game aired on tape delay on Feb 22, 1980, from Lake Placid and drew 34,200,000 average viewers. The match is remembered as a “miracle” as collegiate ice hockey players defied expectations in defeating a Soviet team that won 4 consecutive gold medals dating back to 1964. ####

(5)Team USA defeated Finland 4-2 in its final game to win the gold medal, its first gold medal since 1960 in men’s ice hockey. ####

(6)Herb Brooks, the last player cut from the 1960 United States Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team that won gold at Squaw Valley, guided the 1980 team to its historic gold medal. Known as a motivator, Brooks molded a team built around hard work, belief in oneself, and belief in teammates. He reminded his team when they played the Soviets, “you were born to be hockey players, everyone one of you . . . and you were meant to be here”. ####

(7)The tournament occurred at a time when the United States was struggling with rampant stagflation, high gas prices, hostages held in Iran, and increased tensions with the Soviet Union whose invasion of Afghanistan led to the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. ####

(8)The Miracle on Ice was a turning point for ice hockey in the United States. The game was named the greatest sports moment of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated. ####

(9)The historic win brought ice hockey to the front-page of newspapers everywhere, and forever opened the door to the National Hockey League for players born in the United States. The impact of the event was far-reaching and is still being felt today. ####

(10)Since 1980, interest in the United States in the sport of ice hockey has increased exponentially. Registrations with USA Hockey have increased by nearly 400 percent since 1980 from 136,000 to over 564,000, and the number of National Hockey League players from the United States has increased from 72 in 1980 to 245 in 2024.