The ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics is one of the biggest sporting events and a source of pride for athletes, fans and coaches. The sport has a rich tradition in Canada and the United States. But it also is an Olympic debut sport, first added to the games in 1998. Since then, men’s and women’s hockey have become permanent events in the Olympic program.
Teams are allowed to dress a maximum of 23 players, including three goaltenders. Players must wear a helmet with face mask at all times. If a team has less than a legal roster of five skaters and a goalie at game time, the game is a forfeit. Only one coach/manager is allowed on the bench during a game. Managers and coaches must enter the bench from the stands, not the ice surface.
During the Olympic tournament in 1992 in Albertville, Mike Eruzione scored what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” It was late in the third period of a semifinal match against the Soviet Union when the American captain picked up a loose puck in the Soviet zone, used a defenseman for a screen and fired a wrist shot past the goalie to tie the score 3-3. The Americans went on to win the game and the gold medal.
A year later in Atlanta, the U.S. defeated the Soviets again to clinch the gold medal. But it was not the same Soviet team. The Red Army had disbanded, and athletes from the former Soviet Union played for the Unified Team.