Puck 'N Hockey

I was just over 3 months old when the American men miraculously defeated the Soviet Union and went on to capture gold during the 1980 Winter games.  I have no direct memories or concept of what that meant to American hockey fans and society.  I have only ever seen or heard the historical accounts of those who witnessed The Miracle.  For me and many of my hockey generation, today’s match up of Team USA and Canada could be the biggest hockey moment we will witness.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images via msnbc.com

Let’s get one thing straight, Canada vs. the USA definitely does not carry the same political and ideological weight as the USA vs. USSR match up 30 years ago.  The Red Army teams were literally military personnel trained to be the best hockey players in the world.  They represented all that was diametrically opposed to the American way of life during the Cold War.  Team USA wanted to represent their country.  They were not the best players in the world but they represented the best of America.  They volunteered to play for their country.  The Americans worked extremely hard just for the chance to compete against the best.  That hockey game 30 years ago, was the physical embodiment of American ideals taking on Communist principles.

For the current hockey generation, the USA-Canada gold medal game is almost as huge.  The American and Canadian teams are solely comprised of NHL players.  They have all benefited from very good national development programs.  The rest of the world cannot consistently compete with and defeat the North American power houses.  As an American fan, I am looking for our boys to prove that they can win without the benefit of a national hockey culture.  I think the Canadian fans are looking for validation of their national identity.  While not the same as democratic freedom against communist oppression, these are pretty heavy things to bear as a player today.

Just like The Miracle, the game today will drive the development of North American hockey for years regardless of the outcome.  The USA vs. Canada game is drawing attention outside of traditional hockey media.  This game will do much for getting more people interested in hockey.  It should get more kids interested and drive youth hockey numbers up.  We may be fortunate enough to witness hockey history again.

Until then…

USA!  USA!  USA!