Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 452, the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Who can forget those words from legendary announcer Al Michaels: ``Eleven seconds. You've got 10 seconds to go. The countdown going on right now. Morrow up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you believe in miracles? Yes.''

Who can forget those legendary words on that Friday, February 22, 1980?

What that hockey team did for our country during that time was they beat the most powerful team in the world. These amateurs from our college ranks, they beat the best team in the world. They beat the best team in the world at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

Nobody gave them a chance. In fact, that game was tape delayed because they didn't think it was going to be significant. That was the most powerful moment in the history of sports.

Madam Speaker, I will talk to you about the State of Minnesota. The State of Minnesota is the ``State of Hockey.'' It is our way of life.

I am the first professional hockey player ever to be elected to the U.S. Congress. I have two other brothers who played professional hockey. My nephew plays with the Utah Hockey Club. Hockey is our way of life. What this 1980 Olympic team did is unimaginable for the sport of hockey.

Those Minnesotans from my district were Buzz Schneider, Mark Pavelich, Bill Baker, Phil Verchota, and John Harrington. Look at the small towns where they came from: Grand Rapids, Eveleth, Babbitt, Virginia, and Duluth. These players grew up loving the game.

They put that USA jersey on and were coached by Herb Brooks. We all remember the white jersey with ``USA'' on the front or a dark blue jersey with ``USA'' on the front.

Ten days before that game, Madam Speaker, they had an exhibition game, and they were blown out at Madison Square Garden. Yet, a few days later, Herb Brooks had them ready. They were conditioned. They were ready. They played as a team. Movies were made about it.

Growing up in Duluth, I had the privilege of watching many of these players play. Mark Johnson, who scored two goals in that game, was from the University of Wisconsin. I saw him play at the Duluth arena against Minnesota Duluth. He was magical.

Phil Verchota, from Duluth East, came from a hardworking, blue-collar family. He went to the University of Minnesota as a standout.

Bill Baker was from Grand Rapids. Mike Eruzione was from Boston University as well as Jack O'Callahan. Mark Wells was from Bowling Green. These players meant something to their communities.

In fact, it is really weird. I represent Babbitt, Minnesota. There is a Realtor up there, and it was just last year, Madam Speaker, that I asked the Realtor: Would you please bring me by Buzz Schneider's home, his small home in Babbitt? I want to see where he grew up.

It is the love of hockey. It is the love of the game. I know exactly where I was, Madam Speaker, when they won. I was at the Pine Valley Ice Shelter in Cloquet, Minnesota. It was my first year at Bantam, and one of our parents came running out of the Zamboni room. He had just watched the little black-and-white TV. He said: We beat the Russians. We beat the Russians.

I remember sitting on the bench, thinking: Why is he yelling that?

Little did I know it would be the sports moment of the century. Little did we know, 2 days later, on that Sunday, when they played Finland--it wasn't going to be a gimme game. They had to work hard and they beat Finland. Remember what Coach Herb Brooks said: If you lose this game, you are going to take it to your blankety-blank graves. They were ready for it.

I just replayed Al Michaels' last 11 seconds of the game. It gives me chills being from the State of Hockey, knowing these players.

Madam Speaker, it was just a little over a month ago that we brought four of those players to Washington, D.C., on Hockey Day on the Hill to promote this Congressional Gold Medal Act.

The night before, those players spoke to our conference. I had the privilege of going out to dinner with them. I was sitting right next to Captain Mike Eruzione. I remember he said: You know something, Pete. This game changed my life.

He was either going be a member of the military, a police officer, or a firefighter.

He said: This game changed my life. That moment changed my life. He said: I did well in my life. He said: Pete, for the United States of America to give our 1980 Olympic team the Congressional Gold Medal, it is the cherry on top. We will never be able to do anything bigger than that.

To have that captain say that to me is why it was so important that I worked on both sides of the aisle. We got over 290 signatures to get it onto the House floor.

There will be three Congressional Gold Medals minted, Madam Speaker. One of them is going to go to the ice rink in Lake Placid where they won it. One is going to go to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, the home of Mark Pavelich. The third one is going to go to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

We recognize that moment 45 years ago. I often wonder why we didn't do this sooner. Why didn't we do this sooner? We should have. That moment helped elevate the game of hockey across the United States. It helped elevate girls' hockey across the United States. I share that my younger brother, Rob, was the coach of the women's gold medal team in Pyeongchang, where they won in overtime.

Being an Olympic gold medalist following these men and their careers, they were heroes to those of us who laced up the skates. We couldn't wait to get that USA jersey on, even playing ball hockey in the driveway or in the street. It brought this Nation together like no other sporting event. We needed it at that time, and these young amateurs provided it for us.

Madam Speaker, I finish with a list of thank-yous.

First, I thank Congressman Mike Quigley, Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, and Congressman Bill Keating for co-leading this legislation with me. I thank Senators Cramer and Schumer for spearheading the bill in the Senate. I also thank the other 293 Members of Congress who cosponsored this bill to give these men the honor that they deserve.

Second, I thank the National Hockey League and USA Hockey who have been championing this cause alongside me and have been instrumental in getting this bill onto the floor today.

Finally, I thank the players of the ``Miracle On Ice'' team: Bill Baker from Grand Rapids, Minnesota; Neal Broten from Roseau, Minnesota; Dave Christian from Warroad, Minnesota; Steve Christoff from Richfield, Minnesota; Jim Craig from North Easton, Massachusetts; Michael Eruzione from Winthrop, Massachusetts; John ``Bah'' Harrington from Virginia, Minnesota; Steve Janaszak from White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Mark Johnson from Madison, Wisconsin; Rob McClanahan from St. Paul, Minnesota; Ken Morrow from Flint, Michigan; Jack O'Callahan from Charlestown, Massachusetts; the late Mark Pavelich from Eveleth, Minnesota; Mike Ramsey from Minneapolis, Minnesota; Buzz Schneider from Babbitt, Minnesota; Dave Silk from Scituate, Massachusetts; Eric Strobel from Rochester, Minnesota; the late Bob Suter from Madison, Wisconsin; the late Mark Wells from St. Clair Shores, Michigan; Phil Verchota from Duluth, Minnesota; and, finally, the legendary and late Coach Herb Brooks from St. Paul, Minnesota, one of the best coaches ever in the game of hockey.

Madam Speaker, I am excited to vote on this bill shortly. I thank these young men for creating the most memorable moment in sports history and demonstrating to the world the unwavering strength of the American spirit.

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