The sport of ice hockey was first played in the 1920 Olympics in Lake Placid, but it wasn’t until 1952 that it became an official Olympic event. By then, the Soviet Union had established itself as a powerhouse in men’s and women’s hockey. The Soviets won nine straight gold medals until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, the U.S. and Canada have battled to win the most golds in Olympic history.
When the 1980 team stepped onto the ice against the Soviets in Lake Placid, it looked like the Americans would be heading home without a medal. The Soviet goalie was godlike, and the Americans had trailed for two periods. But then, in the final minutes of the game, Mark Johnson scored a miracle deflection. The slap shot beat Tretiak and gave the American players renewed hope.
In a game that would decide the Olympic champion, the teams remained tied after regulation and a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden death overtime. For the first time in Olympic history, the winner was determined by a shoot out. Five players from each team took turns shooting at the goalie, and the team that scored won the gold medal.
The Olympic tournament format has changed over the years to fit the NHL schedule, but it is still based on a round-robin with medals awarded based on total points. The tournament has a qualification round where teams play an elimination game, and then the top four teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.
