New hockey movie coming soon

[NJTank]

The Miracle on Ice is viewed in the same light in Russia as the 1972 Munich Basketball Finals are viewed in the US.

Well Russia cheated in 1972, they got 3 chances with 2 seconds left to make a last shot.

[habsfannova]

The Miracle on Ice is viewed in the same light in Russia as the 1972 Munich Basketball Finals are viewed in the US.

Well Russia cheated in 1972, they got 3 chances with 2 seconds left to make a last shot.

.....My point exactly, that's how the Russians feel with officiating and that. Not that I agree with them.

And Russia didn't really cheat, per say, because it was the officials that gave them the extra time.  The officals blew that.

[IceCap]

Other than a few diehard hockey fans in US and Canada, no one will go see it.

a few diehard hockey fans in us and canada? try just the diehard fans in the us. im not attacking americans in any way, but in 1980 the us beat canada earlier in the tournament. why do i think that the us filmakers will try and make the american victory over canada more important then it is (in the beggining  of the movie at least.)

once again, not trying to attack americans, just those in hollywood   .

[-kj]

Oh, I imagine some Canadians will go to see it, because they're complete hockey nuts and would see anything hockey-related. Not so say they'll necessarily like it afterwards, but they might go see it.

At some point, it would be cool if they made a film about the Summit Series. But for now, let us American hockey nuts enjoy some nostalgia, eh?

[JQK]

The summit Series and the 1980 Olympics are really two different things. It's comparing apples to a Chevy transmission.

The Summit Series was a battle of goliaths. The two biggest hockey powers in the world slugging it out. It was a monumental occasion, one of the biggest in the sport of hockey, there is no doubt of that.

In 1980, one of those goliaths, the USSR, who were unbeatable, who had crushed the USA's college boys under an avalanche of goals and speed, who crushed everyone, even the best teams, that got in their way, were beaten by the same bunch of U.S. college boys. ANd more than that, you must remember the atmposphere of the country at the time. Jimmy Carter was president, very depressing. The hostages were still in Iran and the US was doing nothing toget them. People were not particularly proud to be americans, and they were not swelling with patriot pride for their country. The 1980 USA hockey team gave americans something to cheer about, something to wrap themselves around and be proud of. Even people who didn't watch or cared about hockey, were watching and cheering. It was more than just a game against the russians.

[Mugatu]

There was a movie about this out, called Miracle on Ice starting Steve Guttenburg came out in '81

"Who holds back the electric car? Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star? We do! We do!"

[bods39]

the 1980 Team USA is a much bigger upset than

the '72 series. Like the King said, it was David vs. Goliath,

a true amateur squad versus hired guns (aka soldiers in the red army who get to play hockey instead of guard walls.)

the only 1980 player I ever followed was Mike Ramsay

becasue he was a Sabre for so long. Great defensemen, not

sure if he won the cup as a player or coach though.

[Mugatu]

I think Belarus vs. Sweden in the 2002 Olympics was actually a bigger upset than the 'miracle on ice'. Sweden was the favorite to win the gold medal at that point, and only two players on that Belarus team have had any NHL experience. And there's only something like 8 indoor ice rinks in Belarus.

[NJTank]

I know Kenny Morrow would go on to win a Cup a few months later with the Islanders, and Neal Broten was also on the team and had a pretty good career winning cup with the Devils in 1995.

How appropirate the best mmeont in Team USA sports history is my 1776 post.

[CC97]

If we're talking about upsets, the 1972 Summit Series wouldn't even apply to be ranked... Canada was favoured to win the series from the get-go... now if we're talking great comebacks, that would be ranked somewhere.

In olympic hockey, I would rank USA vs USSR as the #3 upset of all time, and I what I pick as the #1 Olympic hockey upset hasn't even been mentioned yet.

#1:

1936 Gold Medal Game

Great Britain vs. Canada

----

To get an idea of how dominant the Canadian team was at the time:

1924: 3-0, 85 GF 0 GA

1928: 3-0, 38 GF 0 GA

1932: 5-0-1, 32 GF, 4 GA

1936: 3-0, 24 GF, 3 GA

So in the olympic games leading up to this tournament, Canada was 14-0-1, with 179 GF, and 7 GA   (11.9 GF per game, 0.47 GA per game)

Great Britian was 6-5-1, with 49 GF, and 41 GA (4.1 GF per game, 3.6 GA per game).  In fact Great Britian hadn't even qualified for the 1932 Olympics.

As you could have guessed Great Britian defeated Canada in the Gold Medal game, much to the shock of everyone who cared.  I believe the final score was 2-1.

***********

#2 is Belarus vs. Sweden in the 2002 Olympics, Sweden was favoured to go all the way, Belarus wasn't even suppose to qualify for the tournament.

***********

#3, USA/USSR 1980, you know the story.

[NJTank]

Its not how big of upset it was it was what it did for teh country the USA was at a lowpoint in its history in Februrary of 1980.

We were being embarassed in teh world and teh Soviets were on the march everywhere.

We were in a bad recession, had an engery crisis a gas cirsis, still feeling the sting from Watergate, and Nam.

We had hostages in Iran and Jimmy Carter failing in every way as President.

To quote Carter "The US was in a great Malaize"

The upset of USSR was finally a chance to feel good again.

[CC97]

Well then consider my rankings about hockey only, i don't usually consider politics when it comes to ranking my sports upsets, nor should anyone for that matter.

[jkrdevil]

From a hockey standpoint I'm going to disagree with you.

With Belarus, they had a few NHL players on the team. Where as the 80 team was nothing but college kids playing and beating a team that was on a level of an NHL all-star team. And as far as Sweden being they favorite. If I remember the Czechs, Canada, and the US were more favoured to win the gold.

EDIT: NEver mind I had he wrong year, in 32 the US lost to Canada and won Silver.

[CC97]

Would you agree about the 1936 final being a larger upset at least?

[Notch Novelty]

Great Britian made it to that round for a reason. They weren't that bad. I consider that 3rd in my rankings.

USA in 1980 needed to beat USSR to get a chance at a medal. Great Britian made it to Gold Medal round for a reason. Soviets were the best team in the world. They beat NHL All-Star teams, won the gold for years, and beat the USA team 10-3 months earlier.

Now that's the #1 upset.

[jkrdevil]

I'm iffy on that, i don't know that much about it.

[JQK]

College Kids vs the most talented and feared hockey team in the world, the team that had crushed the team 10-3 earlier in a friendly...

And the beat them?

Not to mention the situation in the world, it was... It was something that no one, not even Americans, thought could happen. It is the #1 upset of all time. Of that there is no doubt.

[Saintsfan]

I really don't think the political situation at the team has any effect on the size of the upset in 1980, it might very well give a reason why the story is such a part of sporting folklore in the US however. As for 1936, go GB!!!!!!!!!!! Lets not forget that Britain has no real tradition in the sport, before or since! I dare say watching British League hockey would make you guys laugh out loud! So that counts as a fairly massive shock I would have thought.

[JQK]

I don't that us Americans, Canadians, or in your case Saints, Britons, will ever see eye to eye on this. Canadians hate us, the British hate us, and we think everything revolves around us (which it does...)

[slapshot]

I don't have a problem with the movie coming out. It was the greatest upset for US Hockey in modern times. It was overplayed, but it did help unleash a larger of patroitism that the country needed at the time, due to the low morale a lot of people had because of the Iran hostage situation.

What I am worried about, though, is the name behind the movie: Disney. Disney ruins every good story and makes it sappy so Mr. and Mrs. non-offensive adult contemporary rock can be happy with the movie. I can't stand any of the Mighty Ducks movies (aside from blatant rules violations that seem to be let go for the sake of plots). Disney softens up every story to give it a happy ending, and lives on over-emoting every sentiment they can.

HBO had an awesome documentary about the 1980 Olympic hockey team, and it came out within the last 2 years. It showed the US team getting hammered by the Soviets in the few games they played prior to the Olympics. And it also showed the Gold Medal game (Sweden or Finland, can't remember) without getting sappy. Pure documentary, and it was awesome.

The other thing that's going to be weird about the movie is seing the actors play the hockey players. I don't see much of Jim Craig around, but Mike Eruzione is on TV a lot in the Boston area (he used to Broadcast Boston University hockey games). It's going to be painful listening to actors fake Boston accents. Everyone will sound like they are trying to be Lenny Clarke.

I hope to see the movie, but with Disney on board, my hopes aren't high. I hope they dont screw this one up too badly.