American-born players on the Kings appreciate US gold medal hockey anniversary – Los Angeles Times
Kings backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff was born seven years after the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team pulled off its stunning upset of the Soviets and went on to beat Finland 37 years ago Friday to win the gold medal at the Lake Placid Games. But Zatkoff, a Detroit native, learned at a young age about the 1980 team’s improbable feats and appreciates that group’s accomplishments on many levels.
“As a kid and as you get older you start learning about it, and then when the movie came out I was relatively young and I was a hockey player. Everyone saw it, especially being from the States,” Zatkoff said, referring to the 2004 film “Miracle,” which starred Kurt Russell as coach Herb Brooks. “It’s one of our proudest moments as a country for hockey. It’s exciting.
“I don’t remember a ton about it but I’ve heard the stories about Herb Brooks. It was before professionals played, right? So just the David and Goliath story. Jim Craig standing on his head. It’s something that as a U.S. hockey player you’re proud of.”
Kings defenseman Alec Martinez, also a Michigan native, also was born seven years after the Lake Placid Olympics. But he’s familiar with many of the details through his experiences with USA Hockey’s various programs.
“You always saw the infamous picture and you always knew who Michael Eruzione was,” Martinez said of the Olympic team’s captain, who scored the game-winner against Russia. “It may have been midget minor, I was in high school and we went to a tournament in Lake Placid and played in the rink there, and that’s pretty cool because you know the history and the whole story. It’s pretty incredible.
“I think the neat thing is that most people think that them beating the Russians was for the gold medal. And it was Finland in the gold-medal game. Growing up, being a part of USA Hockey and going to Select festivals and things like that, you obviously are very aware of the story, and it’s pretty cool.”
Playing on the Lake Placid Olympic rink wasn’t much of a novelty for forward Dustin Brown, who was born in Ithaca, N.Y., and skated on the Olympic ice in many tournaments. He also learned about the 1980 team through his involvement with USA Hockey and by watching the movie, and he believes the team left a legacy that’s still being felt.
“It was one of those big moments, not only for hockey but culturally,” Brown said. “I think you look at where USA Hockey has gone and they’ve done a really good job developing players. You look at hockey and now it’s in most of the states. Look at California. There are a lot of players. The game is growing, which is a tough thing to do in all the other sports.”
Zatkoff said the 1980 team’s gold medal triumph is still relevant today. “It really was miraculous that they won. That’s why you play the game,” he said. “It teaches a lesson that anything can happen on any given night, especially single-elimination. They still had to win after they beat Russia. A lot of times you don’t hear about that second game. Once they beat Russia, that was it for a lot of people, but they had to win again and they did.”
Follow Helene Elliott on Twitter @helenenothelen
About Us
Free Shipping
If your order is $35 or more, you may qualify for free shipping. With free shipping, your order will be delivered 5-8 business days.
