View source for 1980 Winter Olympics

{{Infobox International Ice Hockey Competition
 | tourney_name = 1980 Winter Olympics
 | year = 
 | other_titles =
 | image = 1980 Olympics.png
 | size = 200px
 | caption =
 | country = United States
 | dates = February 12–24, 1980
 | num_teams = 12
 | venues = Olympic Arena,<br>Olympic Fieldhouse<br>Lake Placid, New York]
 | cities = 
 | winners = United States
 | count = 2
 | second = Soviet Union 
 | third =  Sweden
 | fourth = Finland
 | games = 35
 | goals = 308
 | attendance = 
 | scoring_leader = {{Flagicon|TCH}} Milan Nový <small>15 points</small>  
 | mvp =
 | prevseason = [[Ice hockey at the 1976 Winter Olympics|1976 Olympics]]
 | nextseason = [[Ice hockey at the 1984 Winter Olympics|1984 Olympics]]
}}
The men's '''ice hockey''' tournament at the '''1980 Winter Olympics''' in Lake Placid, [[United States|U.S.A.]], was the 14th [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympic Championship]].  Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to 24.  The [[United States men's national ice hockey team|United States]] won its second gold medal, including a win over the heavily favored [[Soviet Union national ice hockey team|Soviet Union]] that became known as the "[[Miracle on Ice]]".<ref name=doilpg>{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KLYiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DrUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1056%2C1927138|newspaper=Beaver County Times |agency=''(New York Daily News)'' |title=Debacle on ice: Lake Placid ghosts still haunt Soviets |last=Brown |first=Frank |date=February 11, 1990 |page=C14}}</ref><ref name=thegg>{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123214/index.htm |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Swift |first=E.M. |title=The Golden Goal |date=March 3, 1980|page=16 }}</ref>  Games were held at the [[Herb Brooks Arena|Olympic Arena]] and the Olympic Fieldhouse.

==Background==
The Olympics came at a difficult time for Soviet–U.S. relations, as they were deep in the Cold War. Only months before the games began, the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] had invaded Afghanistan, and there was speculation that the Soviet Union might not be allowed to compete in these Olympics.<ref name=usmbsvlp >{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I54yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qOkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=964%2C1734431 |newspaper=Miami News |last=Martin |first=Ralbovsky |title=U.S. may ban Soviets from Lake Placid, source says |date=January 16, 1980 |page=4A }}</ref><ref name=svsfslp >{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ua0cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1WcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6293%2C5929307|newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |agency=UPI |title=Soviets set for Summer, Lake Placid |date=January 28, 1980 |page=1-C }}</ref>  The Soviet Union did compete in the Lake Placid games, but the United States and 65 other nations boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in [[Moscow]] later that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/qfp/104481.htm|title=The Olympic Boycott, 1980|publisher=United States Department of State|accessdate=March 14, 2010}}</ref>

The Soviets had won every Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament since [[1960 Winter Olympics|1960]], were well-seasoned "amateurs" who were employed by industrial firms or military organizations for the sole purpose of playing hockey on their organization's team. In contrast, the Americans were a collection of amateur college students, most from the rival schools of University of Minnesota and Boston University. The U.S. team did however, feature several highly promising players who went on to successful careers in the [[National Hockey League]] in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coffey|first=Wayne|title=The Boys of Winter|publisher=Crown Publishers|location=New York City|year=2005|edition=E-book|pages=318|isbn=0-307-23731-1}}</ref>

Three days before the Olympics, Coach Herb Brooks scheduled an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York City against the Soviet team. The Americans lost 10–3,<ref name=svtham>{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tgAtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ac4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2276%2C2630300|newspaper=Palm Beach Post|agency=Associated Press |title=Soviets thrash Americans|date=February 10, 1980 |page=E7 }}</ref> and defenseman Jack O'Callahan pulled a ligament in his knee, though he returned for the medal round of the Olympic tournament.  Coach Brooks gave only a few interviews after the game, but blamed his early conservative strategy as a factor.<ref name=svtham/>

Despite these setbacks, Brooks managed to unify his players, training them for a year (the core of the team had been assembled since the [[1979 World Ice Hockey Championships]] in [[Moscow]]), and lead them to victory.

The IIHF ceased running a championship in Olympic years. Nations that did not participate in the Lake Placid Olympics were invited to compete in the [[1980 Thayer Tutt Trophy|inaugural]] [[Thayer Tutt Trophy]] in [[Ljubljana]], [[Yugoslavia]].

Going into the games, the teams were ranked and divided into two groups.  The ranking was: Soviet Union (1), Czechoslovakia (2), Sweden (3), Canada (4), Finland (5), West Germany (6), United States (7), Poland (8), Netherlands (9), Romania (10), Norway (11), Japan (12).  East Germany was originally ranked tenth but declined to participate, with Japan filling their spot.
==Highlights==
[[Image:TeamUSA1980 stamp.png|thumb|200px|The "Miracle on Ice" on a Paraguayan stamp]]
The USA vs USSR game, called the "Miracle on Ice" in the United States, is the best-remembered game of the tournament and the best-remembered international hockey game in the United States. It was the USA's penultimate game of the tournament's round-robin medal round. The USA's final game, against [[Finland]], was the game which actually won the gold medal for the United States. Finland finished 4th in the overall standings. Another upset which is not always noticed, is when [[Poland national ice hockey team|Poland]] defeated the much better team of [[Finland]] 5-4 during the Preliminary round.

[[File:80usoly.jpg|thumb|200px|1980 USA Olympic team]]

==Blue Division==
Top two teams (shaded ones) advanced to the medal round.
{| border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="120"|Team
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|Pld
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|W
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|L
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|T
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|GF
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|GA
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|Pts
|- align=center bgcolor="lime"
|align=left|{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sweden]]
|5||4||0||1||26||7||'''9'''
|- align=center bgcolor="lime"
|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|5||4||0||1||25||10||'''9'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Czechoslovakia]]
|5||3||2||0||34||16||'''6'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|ROM}} [[Romania]]
|5||1||3||1||13||29||'''3'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|FRG}} [[West Germany]]
|5||1||4||0||21||30||'''2'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Norway]]
|5||0||4||1||9||36||'''1'''
|}

*'''February 12'''
**Czechoslovakia 11-0 Norway
**Romania 6-4 West Germany
**Sweden 2-2 USA
*'''February 14'''
**Romania 0-8 Sweden
**Norway 4-10 West Germany
**USA 7-3 Czechoslovakia
*'''February 16'''
**USA 5-1 Norway
**Romania 2-7 Czechoslovakia
**Sweden 5-2 West Germany
*'''February 18'''
**Norway 1-7 Sweden
**West Germany 3-11 Czechoslovakia
**USA 7-2 Romania
*'''February 20'''
**Norway 3-3 Romania
**Czechoslovakia 2-4 Sweden
**West Germany 2-4 USA

==Red Division==
[[File:CAN-NED 1980.jpg|thumb|200px|Canada vs. the Netherlands]]
Top two teams (shaded ones) advanced to the medal round.
{| border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="120"|Team
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|Pld
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|W
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|L
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|T
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|GF
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|GA
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|Pts
|- align=center bgcolor="lime"
|align=left|{{flagicon|URS}} [[Soviet Union]]
|5||5||0||0||51||11||'''10'''
|- align=center bgcolor="lime"
|align=left|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Finland]]
|5||3||2||0||26||18||'''6'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Canada]]
|5||3||2||0||28||12||'''6'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland]]
|5||2||3||0||15||23||'''4'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|NED}} [[Netherlands]]
|5||1||3||1||16||43||'''3'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Japan]]
|5||0||4||1||7||36||'''1'''
|}

*'''February 12''':
**Netherlands 1-10 Canada
**Poland 5-4 Finland
**Japan 0-16 USSR
*'''February 14''':
**Netherlands 4-17 USSR
**Poland 1-5 Canada
**Japan 3-6 Finland
*'''February 16'''
**Japan 3-3 Netherlands
**USSR 8-1 Poland
**Canada 3-4 Finland
*'''February 18'''
**Canada 6-0 Japan
**Netherlands 5-3 Poland
**Finland 2-4 USSR
*'''February 20'''
**Poland 5-1 Japan
**USSR 6-4 Canada
**Finland 10-3 Netherlands

==Medal Round==
The top two teams from each group play the top two teams from the other group once. Points from previous games against their own group carry over, excluding teams who failed to make the medal round. First place team wins gold, second silver and third bronze.

{| border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="120"|Team
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|Pld
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|W
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|L
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|T
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|GF
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|GA
!bgcolor="#efefef" width="20"|Pts
|- align=center bgcolor="#ffde4f"
|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|3||2||0||1||10||7||'''5'''
|- align=center bgcolor="#dfdfdf"
|align=left|{{flagicon|URS}} [[Soviet Union]]
|3||2||1||0||16||8||'''4'''
|- align=center bgcolor="#ffbb43"
|align=left|{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sweden]]
|3||0||1||2||7||14||'''2'''
|- align=center
|align=left|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Finland]]
|3||0||2||1||7||11||'''1'''
|}

*'''February 22'''
**USA 4-3 USSR
**Finland 3-3 Sweden
*'''February 24''':
**Sweden 2-9 USSR
**USA 4-2 Finland

Carried over group matches:
*'''February 12''' Sweden 2-2 USA
*'''February 18''' Finland 2-4 USSR

'''5th place game'''
*'''February 22''' Czechoslovakia 6-1 Canada

==Final ranking==
# {{flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
# {{flagicon|URS}} [[Soviet Union]]
# {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sweden]]
# {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Finland]]
# {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Czechoslovakia]]
# {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Canada]]
# {{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland]]
# {{flagicon|NED}} [[Netherlands]]
# {{flagicon|ROM}} [[Romania]]
# {{flagicon|FRG}} [[West Germany]]
# {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Norway]]
# {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Japan]]

==See also==
*[[1979-80 United States National Team]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/orw1980v2.pdf Official Report]
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/olympics1998/history/memories/80-hockgold.htm ''Washington Post'' article]
*[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19800212&id=sVsxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=laQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1128,535899 ''Montreal Gazette'' article] about the Dutch team

{{Olympic Games}}
{{Wikipedia}}

[[Category:Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|1980]]
[[Category:1980 in ice hockey|Olympics, Winter]]