Ice hockey has a unique place in Olympic winter sports, a high-intensity team sport whose edge-of-the-seat drama has made it one of the Games’ most beloved events. The game, first played on a field in 1860, was adapted for the ice by two McGill University students, becoming what is today a high-speed game of precision and finesse.
From the first Olympic tournament in 1920, ice hockey has been an Olympic staple, showcasing the best players from around the world. In 1980, the Miracle on Ice, a stirring comeback victory by the American team, cemented the event’s mythology as a symbol of nationalistic exuberance in the United States during the Cold War.
After a dominant tournament in Lake Placid, the Americans took to the ice on February 22, 1980, for a showdown with the Soviets. After two periods, it looked like the Soviets had the Americans dead to rights. But in the third period, Dave Christian, son of a 1960 gold medal winner, sent a long slap shot toward the goalie. The puck zipped into the net. It was the final goal in a 4-3 American victory, which became known as the Miracle on Ice.
Since that time, Olympic ice hockey has evolved along with the rest of the sports, and the games themselves have become more professional. From Squaw Valley 1960 on, ice hockey has been played in NHL-sized arenas to guarantee a better playing surface and wider sightlines for TV cameras.