If former Olympic Gold Medal Mike Eruzione was still playing hockey, he could have found himself in one of these matches between Team USA and Team Canada during their 4 Nations Face-off games on Saturday in Montreal.
Three games took place in nine seconds at the start of the game between the long-time rivals that took place shortly after many in the Bell Center audience lived “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Of course, the matches did not appear as a result of Booing – Team US Matthew Tkachuk, who participated in the first match, admitted that they were planned by themselves, his brother Brady and JT Miller long before the game.
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Players and fans stand for the US national anthem before the first period of 4 Nations Face-off games between Canada and the US at the Bell Center in Montreal on Saturday. (Christinne Muschi/the Canadian press via AP)
But at least the players have since said that Boos made their juice flow – and it did the same for Eruzione.
“I was very disappointed in this situation. It’s a hockey game, it’s no political consequences,” Eruzione said at “The Will Cain Show” hours before the 4 Nations Face-off final between the two teams on Thursday.
“The Miracle of Ice”, which turns 45 years old on Saturday, was then Eruzione’s game-winning goal set the American team, a heavy sub-dog full of college players over the top against the Soviets who had dominated International Hockey for years. Eruzione was the captain of this team, who continued to win the gold medal two days later.
That the US-USSR matchup, played in Lake Placid, New York, had much higher efforts in view of the Cold War.
Captain Mike Eruzione of Team USA shakes his hands with the Russian team after a 1980 show game against the Soviet Union at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 9, 1980. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images)
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“1980 was different. We played the Soviets and it was a great battle from a political point of view,” Eruzione said.
But politics now actually plays a role in this rivalry, especially for fans. For Canadians, it has been their response to President Donald Trump and his proposed 25% duty on goods coming from Canada to the United States and his proclamations that Canada could become the “51st state.”
The US fans responded by booking the Canadian national anthem in Boston before Canada’s match against Finland on Monday, and it should not surprise anyone if it seems again on Thursday – but Eruzione hopes it can be avoided.
“I hope we don’t hear anything like this tonight,” he said.
Former American hockey player Mike Eruzione poses in front of his jersey, which was auctioned in New York on February 23, 2013. (Nezih Payzin/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Puck DROP at Boston’s TD Garden is set to at 1 p.m. 20 et.
