Ice hockey at the Olympic Winter Games is unlike anything else in sports. The stakes are higher, the game is faster and there’s always the chance for drama, like Sidney Crosby’s famous golden goal at Vancouver 2010 that still sends a jolt up the spine of any true fan.
The sport of ice hockey has been an Olympic event since 1924. Initially, the tournament was a round-robin series of games that awarded medals based on total points. In 1992, playoffs were introduced and in 1998 the format was changed to mirror the NHL season; a preliminary round was played without NHL players and the top six teams from the previous year’s regular-season qualified for the finals.
One of the most dramatic moments in the history of Olympic ice hockey came in the men’s semifinal of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, known as the “Miracle on Ice.” The Americans trailed the Soviets 4-3 for two periods and were headed into the locker room late in the third when their coach suggested they might not have enough oxygen in their bloodstream to make it to the final period.
A few quick goals by the U.S. brought the score to 6-4 and set up a showdown with legendary Soviet goalie Igor Tretiak. With less than a minute left, Mark Johnson snagged a deflection and slammed it home past Tretiak to pull the Americans ahead 5-4. The United States went on to win the game and its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years.