Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act
Officially: “Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act” Read the full text
What it does
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1Short title
This section would give the Act the short title the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act .
2Findings
This section lists findings by Congress about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. It finds that the team played in the 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games, held in Lake Placid, New York, from February 13 to 24, 1980. It finds that Team USA, made up of college players, beat the defending champion Soviet Union team 4 to 3 on February 22, 1980, in the final round of the Olympic hockey tournament. It finds that the 1980 team's roster included Bill Baker (Grand Rapids, MN), Neal Broten (Roseau, MN), Dave Christian (Warroad, MN), Steve Christoff (Richfield, MN), Jim Craig (North Easton, MA), Mike Eruzione (Winthrop, MA), John Harrington (Virginia, MN), Steve Janaszak (Saint Paul, MN), Mark Johnson (Madison, WI), Rob McClanahan (Saint Paul, MN), Ken Morrow (Flint, MI), Jack O'Callahan (Charlestown, MA), Mark Pavelich (Eveleth, MN), Mike Ramsey (Minneapolis, MN), Buzz Schneider (Grand Rapids, MN), Dave Silk (Scituate, MA), Eric Strobel (Rochester, MN), Bob Suter (Madison, WI), Mark Wells (St. Clair Shores, MI), and Phil Verchota (Duluth, MN). It finds that the game against the Soviet Union aired on tape delay on February 22, 1980, and drew an average of 34,200,000 viewers, and that the win is remembered as a miracle because the Soviet team had won 4 straight Olympic gold medals dating back to 1964. It finds that Team USA then beat Finland 4 to 1 to win the gold medal, the team's first gold medal in men's hockey since 1960. It finds that Herb Brooks, who had been the last player cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic team that won gold at Squaw Valley, coached the 1980 team to its win, and it quotes Brooks telling the team before the Soviet game that they were born to be hockey players and were meant to be there. It finds that the tournament took place while the United States was dealing with high inflation, high gas prices, Americans held hostage in Iran, and rising tension with the Soviet Union after its invasion of Afghanistan led to a U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. It finds that Sports Illustrated named the game the greatest sports moment of the 20th century, and that the win put hockey on the front page of newspapers and opened the door to the National Hockey League for American-born players, with effects still felt today. It finds that USA Hockey registrations have grown by nearly 400 percent since 1980, from 136,000 to more than 564,000, and that the number of American-born National Hockey League players has grown from 72 in 1980 to 245 in 2024.
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2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The USA Olympic men’s ice hockey team competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and known as the 1980 Lake Placid games, from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York. (2) Team USA, comprised of collegiate players, defeated the defending Olympic champion the Soviet Union 4–3 on February 22, 1980, in the final round of the 1980 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament. (3) The 1980 USA Olympic men’s hockey team roster included— (A) Bill Baker (Grand Rapids, MN); (B) Neal Broten (Roseau, MN); (C) Dave Christian (Warroad, MN); (D) Steve Christoff (Richfield, MN); (E) Jim Craig (North Easton, MA); (F) Mike Eruzione (Winthrop, MA); (G) John Harrington (Virginia, MN); (H) Steve Janaszak (Saint Paul, MN); (I) Mark Johnson (Madison, WI); (J) Rob McClanahan (Saint Paul, MN); (K) Ken Morrow (Flint, MI); (L) Jack O’Callahan (Charlestown, MA); (M) Mark Pavelich (Eveleth, MN); (N) Mike Ramsey (Minneapolis, MN); (O) Buzz Schneider (Grand Rapids, MN); (P) Dave Silk (Scituate, MA); (Q) Eric Strobel (Rochester, MN); (R) Bob Suter (Madison, WI); (S) Mark Wells (St. Clair Shores, MI); and (T) Phil Verchota (Duluth, MN). (4) The Miracle on Ice USA-Soviet Union final round game aired on tape delay on February 22, 1980, from the Lake Placid Games and drew 34,200,000 average viewers. The match is remembered as a miracle as collegiate hockey players defied expectations in defeating a Soviet team that won 4 consecutive gold medals dating back to 1964. (5) Team USA defeated Finland 4–1 in its final game to win the gold medal, its first gold medal since 1960 in men’s hockey. (6) Herb Brooks, the last player cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic team that won gold at Squaw Valley, guided the 1980 team to its historic gold medal. Known as a motivator, Brooks molded a team built around hard work, belief in oneself and belief in teammates. He reminded his team when they played the Soviets, you were born to be hockey players, everyone one of you * * * and you were meant to be here . (7) The tournament occurred at a time when the United States was struggling with rampant stagflation, high gas prices, hostages held in Iran, and increased tensions with the Soviet Union whose invasion of Afghanistan led to the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. (8) The Miracle on Ice was a turning point for American hockey. The game was named the greatest sports moment of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated. (9) The historic win brought hockey to the front-page of newspapers everywhere, and forever opened the door to the National Hockey League for American-born players. The impact of the event was far-reaching and is still being felt today. (10) Since 1980 American interest in the sport of hockey has increased exponentially. Registrations with USA Hockey have increased by nearly 400 percent since 1980 from 136,000 to over 564,000, and the number of National Hockey League players from the United States has increased from 72 in 1980 to 245 in 2024.
3Congressional gold medals
This section would direct the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for Congress to present 3 gold medals of an appropriate design to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, recognizing their win over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics. It would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to strike the gold medals, with the Secretary choosing the emblems, devices, and inscriptions on them. After the medals are awarded, it would require that one medal go to the Lake Placid Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, one go to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, and one go to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with each of those places displaying its medal as appropriate and making it available for research.
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3. Congressional gold medals (a) Award authorized The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of 3 gold medals of appropriate design to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, in recognition of their extraordinary achievement at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games where, being comprised of amateur collegiate players, they defeated the dominant Soviet hockey team in the historic Miracle on Ice , revitalizing American morale at the height of the Cold War, inspiring generations and transforming the sport of hockey in the United States. (b) Design and striking For the purpose of the award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the Secretary ) shall strike gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary. (c) Disposition of medals Following the award of the gold medals under subsection (a)— (1) one gold medal shall be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center in Lake Placid, NY, where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research; (2) one gold medal shall be given to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN, where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research; and (3) one gold medal shall be given to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, CO, where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research.
4Duplicate medals
This section would let the Secretary of the Treasury strike and sell bronze duplicates of the gold medals created under section 3. The price charged would have to be enough to cover the costs of making the duplicates, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
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4. Duplicate medals The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
5Status of medals
This section would classify all medals struck under this Act as national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31 of the United States Code, and as numismatic items for purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of title 31 of the United States Code.
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5. Status of medals (a) National medals The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code. (b) Numismatic items For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
6Authority to use fund amounts; proceeds of sale
This section would authorize charging the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund for whatever amounts are needed to pay the costs of the medals struck under this Act. It would require that the money received from selling the bronze duplicate medals authorized under section 4 be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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6. Authority to use fund amounts; proceeds of sale (a) Authority To use fund amounts There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant to this Act. (b) Proceeds of sale The amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Passed the House of Representatives April 28, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.
Where it is
In the House.