Miracle on Ice: How the 1980 Olympic U.S.-Soviet Hockey Game Became a Microcosm of the Cold War

Skyrocketing gas prices, the perceived encroaching threat of communism, the Iranian hostage crisis, and the Vietnam War had dealt serious blows to the country’s morale. Then twenty young Americans overcame all odds to beat the Soviets, the best team in the world, before going on to win gold in the Olympics… As Eruzione puts it, ‘For some people, it was a hockey game. But for a lot more people, it was far greater than a hockey game.’

Americas, Russia & FSUBy Katie RouseApril 25, 2025hockey, miracle on ice, soviet union, us, great power competition, cold war