The upcoming matchup between the U.S. and Canada in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off is "bigger than a hockey game," Mike Eruzione, the captain of the USA 1980 Winter Olympics hockey team famous for the "Miracle on Ice" against the Soviet Union team, told Newsmax on Thursday.
Team USA and Team Canada are set to face off in the tournament final in Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday, less than a week after the U.S. beat Canada in Toronto. Eruzione, who scored the game-winning goal against the Soviets to win the U.S. the gold medal in 1980, said on "Wake Up America" that the game this weekend between Team USA and Team Canada is "bigger than a hockey game in some ways."
"Well, I think just the fact that this game is going to be absolutely amazing. You know, this team here is far superior than our team was in 1980," Eruzione said. "This might be the best U.S. team we've ever put on the ice."
He went on to predict, "It's going to be an amazing game tonight."
Eruzione added that he "can't even imagine … this morning when they get up realizing the scope of the game and how big the game is going to be for them and for the sport of ice hockey."
He noted that the U.S. has "grown so much as a nation in the sport," adding, "We're one of the best teams in the world, and it's going to be great to see them perform tonight."
Eruzione said, "This is a great moment for them, and this is an opportunity for them to do something in their lives that they'll remember forever."
Eruzione also noted that he spoke with the USA team last Saturday ahead of their first game against Canada, telling them that "this is a game that they're going to remember forever … so I just told them to embrace the moment, enjoy the moment, and go out and just have some fun."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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