FOX Sports Arizona's Todd Walsh talks with the 19 surviving members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Herb Brooks Arena to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice game in which the U.S. beat the Soviet Union 4-3 on the way to winning the gold medal game 4-2 against Finland. The Miracle actually took place Feb. 22, 1980 during the XIII Olympic Winter Games. The reunion included the raising of Bob Suter's No. 20 jersey. Suter, who died on Sept. 9, 2014 at the age of 57, is the first member of the team to die. Coach Herb Brooks died in 2003 in an automobile accident. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID – All the surviving members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team celebrated the 35th anniversary of the famed Miracle on Ice game against the Soviet Union Saturday at the Olympic Center.

It was Miracle on Ice Weekend in the Olympic Village, as proclaimed by Village Mayor Craig Randall and Town of North Elba Supervisor Roby Politi. The celebration was held a day before the actual anniversary, Feb. 22, when the underdog U.S. team beat the powerful Soviet Union 4-3 before winning the gold medal game two days later against Finland.

The community welcomed 19 of the 20 players Saturday in an all-day affair that culminated with the “Relive the Miracle” reunion in the evening at the Herb Brooks Arena, named after their coach, who died in 2003. Defenseman Bob Suter died last year in September.

During an afternoon press conference, team captain Mike Eruzione – who scored the winning goal against the Soviets – said the reunion was bittersweet because Suter would not be on stage with the rest of the team.

“Bobby was a great player and a great person,” Eruzione said. “We all realize that at some point we’re going to move on. But nobody thought that Bobby at 57 would not be with us. He was a special teammate, a special person and clearly will be missed. We’ll be kind of sad when we see the jersey up there.”

Shaun LaLonde of Tupper Lake waits in line to see the Relive the Miracle event Saturday evening at the Olympic Center. At the age of 14, LaLonde had volunteered with his Boy Scout troop to help during the Miracle on Ice game in 1980. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Suter’s jersey – No. 20 – was raised to the rafters later that night.

Fifteen of the players attended the press conference in the Lake Placid Conference Center, and they were welcomed by emcee Todd Walsh, of FOX Sports Arizona.

“Thirty-five years ago here in Lake Placid, a bunch of highly skilled and motivated players went about crafting one of the greatest stories – not just sports stories – but one of the greatest stories every told,” Walsh said. “The Miracle on Ice is firmly entrenched in American culture, and it continues to grow roots, I think, far beyond the boundaries of here in Lake Placid and the fabled and hallowed rink that housed the game.”

The players at the press conference were Bill Baker, Neal Broten, Dave Christian, Steve Christoff, Mike Eruzione, Steve Janaszek, Rob McClanahan, Ken Morrow, Mark Pavelich, Mike Ramsey, Buzz Schneider, Dave Silk, Eric Strobel, Phil Verchota and Mark Wells. On stage with the players were the reunion’s organizer, Jeff Holbrook of Potentia Athletic Partners, and state Olympic Regional Development Authority CEO Ted Blazer. The remaining four players – Jim Craig, John Harrington, Mark Johnson and Jack O’Callahan – joined them for the evening program.

Asked how he expected to feel during the reunion, Silk said, “Obviously it will be electric and enthusiastic, and I think it will probably be nostalgic for all of us.”

Center and team captain Mike Eruzione makes a point Saturday during the Relive the Miracle reunion in the Herb Brooks Arena. From left are John Harrington, Phil Verchota, Buzz Schneider, Rob McClanahan, Dave Christian, Eruzione, Eric Strobel, Jack O'Callahan and Mark Pavelich. (News photo — Lou Reuter)

During the press conference, the players were asked why they think the Miracle on Ice resonates so strongly even 35 years later.

“In sports in general, everyone roots for the underdog, which we certainly were an underdog,” said Christian, a defenseman from Minnesota. “We were aware of the political situation in the world, but in a lot of respects for us it truly was a game, a great challenge. We were up against what at that time was considered one of the best teams that had been put together. So in that respect it was just a game. … I think it gave people the sense of feeling good. You can’t help but smile.”

Broten commented on facing the Soviet team, which was considered the best in the world at the time and favored to win the gold medal.

“The Russian team, anytime you play a team like that, you understand how good they are, how strong they are, and their skates, their lateral movement, how fast they shoot the puck, how hard they pass it,” Broten said. “If you go on a scale from one to 10, we were a two and they were a 10. I was just happy to be part of it.”

Players were asked about the team’s reaction when the Soviet coach pulled goalie Vladislav Tretiak after the U.S. scored two goals during the Miracle on Ice game.

Defenseman Bob Suter's jersey is being raised to the rafters of the Herb Brooks Arena Saturday during the Relive the Miracle reunion. (News photo — Lou Reuter)

“It didn’t matter to me who was in goal,” Eruzione said. “I can’t speak on behalf of the team, but our concern wasn’t who their goalie was; it was the other 19 players that were playing with him. … The real story for me was they only scored three goals. Throughout the tournament, they were scoring 7, 8, 9 goals a game. No only was Jimmy solid, actually the defense and the defensemen were outstanding in that game.”

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Spectators

Thousands of people packed the Herb Brooks Arena Saturday night, some wearing red, white and blue U.S. jerseys, some in 1980 Olympic jackets and hats. All were handed American flags to wave during the presentation, which included video clips of the Miracle on Ice game, taped interviews and photos.

Shaun LaLonde of Tupper Lake, waiting in line with his credentials from the 1980 Winter Olympics, explained how he became a volunteer for the Miracle on Ice game.

Goaltender Jim Craig answers questions in the locker room after the Relive the Miracle event Saturday at the Olympic Center. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“I was 14 at the time, and I was a volunteer for the Boy Scouts,” LaLonde said. “It was called the Pitch-In program, and basically we were ushers and cleaned up the arena afterwards.”

As an usher, LaLonde had to stand up the entire game.

“We didn’t have a seat, but we didn’t need one,” he said. “I remember how loud it was. It was unbelievable, the atmosphere. You could hear the USA chants. It just resonated through the whole building, and I think it carried the team.”

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Presentation

Center Mark Johnson answers questions in the locker room after the Relive the Miracle event Saturday at the Olympic Center. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

The “Relive the Miracle” program was organized into several sections to explore the historic hockey game: “The Journey,” “The Steps,” “The Miracle” and “The Gold.” Emcee Walsh interviewed the players throughout the evening, including O’Callahan, who he asked about Coach Brooks.

“He’s been quoted as being like a psychologist disguised as a hockey coach, but he also said, ‘I asked this team to do things that I never asked any team to do,'” Walsh said. “So what was the psychological side of Herb Brooks, and how did you cope with it?”

“I think one of the great things about Herbie was that he took time to get to know each player,” O’Callahan said. “He did it personally, but he also did it analytically with the psychological test he would do with us. Herb treated me differently than he treated David Silk or than he treated Mike Ramsey or Neal Broten. So as a coach I really think he did take the time to get to know the inner workings of each player. We all had different relationships with him, but ultimately the way it turned out after a seven-month period with him and seven Olympic games here in Lake Placid, I think all of us would agree that it was probably one of the greatest development years of our lives as players. A lot of us ended up in the National Hockey League playing years later, and I don’t think as many of us would have had it not been for that time spent with Herbie.”

At the end of the program, the players turned around, facing the large American flag draped behind the stage, and put their hands on their hearts during the national anthem.

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Locker room 5

When the arena lights came up, and the crowd streamed outside into the fresh snow, goaltender Craig visited locker room 5, reflecting on the reunion, saying it was a special moment for a historic team.

“It felt really great to see all the guys,” Craig said. “Remember, the documentary ’30-30′ shows how hard the Russians worked, and so Herb’s strategy was that we would be in better shape than them. So you can have an idea of how hard this team really worked to get where it was. People say it was a miracle. It wasn’t a miracle. It was just really hard work that we committed to.”

Johnson – now the head coach for the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team – scored two of the four U.S. goals against the Soviets.

“I think for the younger players coming up, you have to dream big,” Johnson said. “If you dream big and you’re willing to work and make a commitment in fulfilling that dream, anything’s possible. And I think that’s the great thing that happened here 35 years ago. We had a bunch of kids that were dreaming about representing the United States in the Olympics and got a chance to do that. And then they prepared themselves, and when the opportunity knocked, something special happened. So that’s no different from the younger generations. If they’re willing to do those type of things and put themselves in a position and prepare themselves, when opportunity knocks, they might be able to do something special also.”