The Miracle On Ice
Remembering Lake Placid 1980

Where are they now?

Where Are They Now?

When the 1980 Olympic Games got under way in Lake Placid, N.Y., the world was in turmoil. Invading Soviets were in Afghanistan; Americans were being held hostage in the Iran; inflation was rising through the roof in this country.

Many people thought there was little to feel good about, and it was hard to argue with them. That all changed when a group of unknown college hockey players hailing from Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts and Wisconsin took to the ice.

Over the course of a two-week period, these feisty and determined winter athletes rekindled the American spirit and restored a sense of pride in the nation. With a rabid home crowd cheering them, the U.S. Olympic team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports, defeating the powerful Soviets in a semi-final game before upending Finland to win the gold medal.

It's been 20 years since the "Miracle on Ice" took place, but the heroes who made it happen will never be forgotten. In the table that follows, SportsLine helps you catch up with them.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic team

Jim Craig -- Goaltender A native of North Easton, Mass., Craig played college hockey at Boston University and was 22 when the 1980 Olympics took place. After the tournament, he played 30 NHL games with the Atlanta Flames, Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars before retiring. Today, he works as an account manager for an advertising material publisher near his hometown.

Steve Janaszak -- Goaltender Born in White Bear Lake, Minn., Janaszak played college hockey at the University of Minnesota and was 22 during the Olympics. He played one NHL game with the North Stars in 1980, and two more the next year with the Colorado Rockies before retiring. Today he is a bond sales executive in New York.

Bill Baker - Right Defense Baker came from Grand Rapids and played college hockey at the University of Minnesota. He was 22 during the Olympics and went on to play 143 NHL games over the next three seasons with Montreal, the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis and the Rangers. Today he is an oral surgeon in Brainard, Minn.

Dave Christian - Right Defense A native of Warroad, Minn., whose father, Billy, and uncle, Roger, were on the 1960 Olympic gold medal team, Dave Christian was 20 in 1980. He played college hockey at North Dakota and spent 14 years after the Games in the NHL. In 1998, he became coach and GM of a junior team in Fargo, N.D.

Ken Morrow - Right Defense Born in Flint, Mich., Morrow had a great year in 1980. The former Bowling Green star not only won Olympic gold, he joined the New York Islanders that year and won a Stanley Cup. He played in the NHL until 1989 and today is the Islanders' director of pro scouting.

Jack O'Callahan - Left Defense A native of Charlestown, Mass., he played college hockey at Boston U. O'Callahan was 21 during the Olympics and went on to a seven-year NHL career with Chicago and New Jersey. Today he operates Beanpot Financial Services at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Mike Ramsey - Left Defense A native of Minneapolis, Ramsey was 18 during the Olympics and the youngest player on the U.S. squad. He went on to a standout 17-year NHL career with Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Detroit and now serves as assistant coach for the Sabres.

Bob Suter - Left Defense A native of Madison, Wis., Suter played college hockey for the Badgers and was 22 during the Olympics. He never played in the NHL and today operates a sporting goods store in his hometown.

Neal Broten -- Center The diminutive native of Roseau, Minn., was 19 during the Games and went on to the most successful NHL career of all the U.S. Olympians, playing 17 seasons with the North Stars, Dallas, New Jersey and Los Angeles. Today he is a horse rancher in Wisconsin.

Steve Christoff - Right Wing A native of Richfield, Minn., who played college hockey at Boston U., Christoff was 21 during the Olympics and went on to a five-year NHL career with the North Stars, Calgary and Los Angeles. He's still flying high these days, working as a pilot for a Northwest Airlines commuter link in Minneapolis.

Mike Eruzione - Left Wing The native of Winthrop, Mass., who played at Boston U., Eruzione was captain of the U.S. squad, and at 25, the oldest player on the team. He decided to end his hockey career after the memorable tournament, claiming nothing could equal the thrill for him. Today he is a coach at Boston U. and the director of the school's athletic department development program. He is also a hockey television analyst.

John Harrington - Right Wing One of the hardest working players on the U.S. team, this native of Virginia, Minn., was 22 when he joined the Olympic squad from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He did not play in the NHL and today coaches the St. John's University hockey team in Collegeville, Minn.

Mark Johnson - Center The heart and soul of the U.S. team, and its leading scorer with 11 points during the tournament, Johnson was 21 during the Games and joined the team from the University of Wisconsin. The native of Madison went on to a solid 11-year career with five NHL teams, and today is the assistant coach at his alma mater.

Rob McClanahan - Left Wing McClanahan was one of the team's offensive forces during the Olympics, scoring five goals during the tournament. Then 21, the native of St. Paul, Minn., who played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, went on to a five-year NHL career with Buffalo, Hartford and the Rangers. He is now an investment broker in Minneapolis. More

Mark Pavelich - Center Pavelich was a 21-year-old who played college hockey in his home state at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He went on to a seven-year NHL career and became the first American to score five goals in a game when he played for the Rangers. Today he lives on Lake Superior in Minnesota, working as a home builder and a fishing and hunting guide.

Buzz Schneider - Left Wing One of the few players who had played in the Olympics prior to 1980, Schneider was 24 when the Lake Placid games took place. The former University of Minnesota player never made it to the NHL. Today he lives in Shoreview, Minn., and is a sales executive for a semi-trailer company.

Dave Silk - Right Wing He was a 21-year-old athlete from Massachusetts who played at Boston U. and went on to play 249 NHL games over the next six years with the Rangers, Bruins, Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets. Silk finished his career in Europe and now works for an investment firm in Boston. More

Eric Strobel - Right Wing One of the best skaters on the U.S. team, the native of Rochester, Minn., was 21 during the 1980 Games. Strobel played at the University of Minnesota and did not play in the NHL. Today he is a telephone sales executive in Apple Valley, Minn.

Mark Wells - Center A native of St. Clair Shores, Mich., Wells played at Bowling Green University before joining the U.S. Olympic team. He was 21 during the 1980 Games and scored two goals during the tournament. He did not play in the NHL, and now serves as a restaurant manager in Rochester Hills, Mich.

Herb Brooks - Coach Backup goalie Steve Janaszek said there was one common denominator on teams coached by Brooks: "Twenty guys who hate Herb." Still, at 42, the master tactician and motivator found a way to pull his squad together and create one of the most memorable achievements in sports history. Brooks went on to coach 12 seasons with the Rangers, Devils and North Stars, and after a six-year hiatus, now finds himself behind the bench of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Craig Patrick - Assistant Coach Craig Patrick, whose family has a legendary impact on the NHL, was 33 when the 1980 Olympics took place. The Wellesley, Mass., native who played at the University of Denver went to become a coach and general manager with the Rangers and the Penguins. Today, he is the GM in Pittsburgh, and earlier this season, brought back Brooks to coach his team.

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