Herb Brooks statue on display at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota (Photo provided)

LAKE PLACID — As the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy approach, this village is paying homage to its 1980 ice hockey “Miracle on Ice,’ both on the small screen and at the iconic venue where it all took place 46 years ago.

On Friday, Jan. 30, Netflix is set to premiere “Miracle: The Boys of ’80,” a feature-length documentary film on the odds-defying story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team’s gold medal. On Saturday, Jan. 31, the Herb Brooks statue will be unveiled at the Lake Placid Olympic Center’s Miracle Plaza, just outside the entrance to the Olympic Museum.

The unveiling is set to begin at 6 p.m. and is free and does not require advance registration. Miracle Plaza, however, is expected to fill to its capacity, according to Sandy Caligiore, one of the event organizers. There will be an overflow room with TV monitors upstairs at the Olympic Center, and Caligiore encouraged people to show up early to secure their spot.

Though not required, attendees are encouraged to emulate Herb Brooks’ iconic attire and wear the tan and plaid garments that the legendary coach sported during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games.

Members of the Brooks family, including his two children, Dan and Kelly, and defenseman Jack O’Callahan will be in attendance for this event and are all expected to deliver remarks, Caligiore said. Stanley Rumbough, a longtime Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp participant who provided a significant donation for the statue.

The curtain cloaking the Herb Brooks statue is seen in the Lake Placid Olympic Center’s Miracle Plaza on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The statue is set to be unveiled here at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. (News photo — Chris Gaige)

Caligiore said Dan Brooks and Kelly Brooks Paradise are making the trip from Minnesota to be here in person, adding that it’s an immense honor to have them at the ceremony.

“It means so much to them to have Herb honored again,” he said. “To present the statue to them, life-size, for the coach that led the team to a victory that was more than hockey, as we know — it resonates with them. It resonates with our community.”

Caligiore said that much of Lake Placid’s post-Olympics success as a destination town is rooted in the Miracle on Ice, and it’s fitting to have a life-size statue for the man at its helm, greeting crowds as they enter the Lake Placid Olympic Center. He said it wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of its donors, and thanked Rumbough, the Uihlein Foundation and everyone who pitched in to make it a reality.

“Just like what happened in 1980, this project became a perfect storm of different elements coming together,” he said. “And of course, with great community support and support from ORDA, here we are.”

The statue unveiling will also be livestreamed at bit.ly/HBS-unveiling-livestream. Caligiore’s pitch to those on the fence of attending was to think big.

“Pay tribute to something that was bigger than a hockey game,” he said. “It was bigger than the individuals who played it. Obviously, the players made it happen, but the sum of all of it was a great vibe and a great mood around the country when it was needed most. And thanks to Herb, who led the way, it happened.”

Netflix documentary

“Miracle: The Boys of 9’80,” is set to begin streaming on Friday, Jan. 30. Directed by Jacob Rogal and Max Gershberg, the 108-minute film relives the Miracle on Ice. It includes never-before-seen original footage from the 1980 Winter Olympics, as well as new interviews with players. The film’s trailer is available at youtube.com/watch?v=40ZWbeMFJ6I. Once the film is released, its streaming link is netflix.com/title/81995302.