I recently had an opportunity to share a dinner with Michael Eruzione, the former captain of the 1980 USA Men’s Hockey team. It was a truly unforgettable experience. He shared countless impactful stories and lessons he learned throughout his life, including some about his role supporting the men’s and women’s hockey teams in their journey to winning Olympic Gold this year.
He stressed that leadership isn’t when one person holds themselves out as separate from the team. Leadership is founded on trust. It is having faith in the team and communicating that trust to your teammates.
Michael discussed the unique feeling of putting on a USA jersey, and the honor that he felt in being able to represent the USA. There are moments when sports stop being games. When the scoreboard fades, the politics quiet down, and the noise of division disappears, the flag and nation we should all be proud to be a part of stands a little taller.
That’s exactly what we witnessed this past Olympics. The United States women’s and men’s hockey teams both secured Gold for our country. Same tournament. Same mission. Same national anthem echoing through the arena on a world stage with tens of millions watching.
In a world that seems to specialize in reminding us of what is wrong, these American athletes reminded us of what is right. They didn’t fight amongst themselves. They didn’t complain. They didn’t showboat. They didn’t make excuses. They simply laced up their skates, absorbed the hits, stared down the pressure, and delivered when it mattered most.
The women led the way and played with grit that would make any coach very proud. They were fearless on the boards, relentless on the forecheck, and had ice in their veins until the puck found the back of the net . . . in overtime no less. The women built a dynasty not on talk, but on toughness and on the unparalleled pursuit of excellence. They inspired future generations to come.
The men answered with the same edge and indomitable American spirit. With the same speed, physicality and unity that turns a collection of lunch-pail-type workers into something better than themselves. These individuals inspired a nation and made hockey truly America’s favorite sport. Every blocked shot, every diving save, and every quick shift change all added to one thing—Gold. Twice.
And here is the most important part: it isn’t about individual glory. It is about the crest on the jersey. It is about the country that is being proudly represented. The red, white, and blue over the heart. The two teams rooted each other on and helped when the weight of it all was overwhelming. The women and men collaborated and made each other better.
For a few hours, every viewing American wasn’t engaged in partisan bickering. It wasn’t about red state or blue state. It wasn’t about party lines. We Americans were cheering, standing, and screaming for our countrymen and women. Our warriors fighting – all heart, all effort, and all country.
At the end, we watched the American flag raise, and we heard our national anthem. Twice. And all of us had that same lump in our throats, that same tingling feeling, that same overflowing feeling of patriotism. These two teams didn’t just win hockey games. They gave a country a reminder. We still produce the toughest competitors. We still rise under pressure. We still know how to come together when the stakes are highest.
During the dinner, Michael was asked if doubts of winning ever crept into his head during his game against the Soviets. Michael said that in such high-stakes moments, you can’t ever allow yourself to even consider losing. If you think about anything other than the win, you’ve already lost.
So whether you were watching from a bar in Hoboken, a home in Cliffside Park, a restaurant in Newark or Camden, or a farmhouse in Byram, America’s wins belong to you. They belong to every American. Like the Miracle on Ice in 1980, when the USA wins like this, we all win. This should make each of us feel something special: pride, gratitude, and unapologetically American.
