BU beat both the Gophers and Badgers in the 1970's in the NCAA Tourney. BU did lose to the Gophers in 1976.

I agree. I remember the whole thing as a young college student. Even to this day I get goosebumps and I've never played hockey, I don't even know all the rules and lingo. But my goodness, what an amazing and awe-inspiring event. That game, wow. Those players and their coach. Holy smoke.

I like that. I dont want a friend, I got friends. I need a coach.

Agreed brother 03 myself. Agreed had a platoon Sgt same demeanor treated us like shit even the NCOs only because he knew there were times to show your true self but regardless someone HAS to be the asshole. It works

Sometimes it will work. Most of the time that strategy just backfires. There is a reason why this approach has worked so few times in sports. In the military it can work in boot camp. Every time I have seen it attempted in a platoon, that platoon was disorganized, not aligned and ultimately not functioning anywhere near its capability. Guys will risk everything for their brothers. Not as much for people they perceive to be dickheads they hate.

Jeffrey, great story about you and your father. I was 12 during this time and fell in love with hockey during these Olympics and then 16 years later I had the great fortune of working for an NHL team that Herb was coaching. He is exactly as everybody describes him, and I like to call him The Greatest American ever.

@@michaelhughes7880 That's a great story as well. I actually (some years ago) worked with Steve Christoff. Such a soft spoken and humble man, he had nothing but praise for Herb Brooks. I tried not to bring up the MOI game, but he was somewhat used to it. Thing is, not many people knew who he was. But those that did loved listening to him talk about the game. On another note, there is a radio station in the Twin Cities (KFAN), that on occasion airs a segment where the host (Dan Barreiro) talks with Lou Nanne. Anyone who loves hockey would love listening to it. Lou has some great stories, to say the least.

Ted the walls were already breaking down in the fall of 1978. Rod Langway and Bobby Miller won positions on the 1978 Stanley Cup Finalists and Tom Rowe became the first US player to score 30 goals in a season in 1978-79 at age 22. Also Gord Roberts, Dave Debol and Mark Howe from Michigan were good pro players in 1978-79. There were very good players of HS age in 1978-79 who would go on to excellent pro careers like Joel Otto, Bob Brooke, Bobby Carpenter, Brian Mullen, John Van Biesbrouck and Tom Kurvers. None of these players needed the Gold Medal to happen.

Well said.

Well said? Its wildly incorrect... lol. 15 years from 1980 goes back to 1965 clown.There wasn't 1 player from 1968, never mind 1965 on the 1980 USSR Team. In fact there were probably about 6 players who were on the 1972 team on the 1980 team. In fact two of the D men on USSR in Starikov and Fetisov were 21 years old or just turned 22. So all the US Dmen other than Christian were older. Also Malaria and Krutov up front were younger than half the US Forwards. So GTFO of here with the 15 years lie.

As a Canadian, I hoped the Russians would beat the Americans in 2002 - because after the Skategate controversy that year, with the Russians cheating us out of a figure skating medal, I wanted them to duke it out in hockey, let our hockey team go after the Russians.

Nice story. I had an idea they might make some noise when Brooks took about seven of the players including Craig to the 1979 Worlds in I believe Czechoslovakia. They tied the Czechs 2-2 with Craig playing well in that game. That told me they could hold their own with anyone beside the USSR.

not just one of the greatest hockey coach but probably the greatest Coach period

Jeffrey, with 1 or 2 exceptions those were the best players at the end of the 1978-79 NCAA season. Langway, Mullen and Nilan were already in the NHL ,WHA or AHL. Tim Harrer and Jack Hughes were the only 2 guys who maybe could have gotten a spot over Mark Wells and Bob Suter. Ralph Cox suffered an ankle injury which cost him a spot over someone like Phil Verchota.

You are so right. I see that St. Paul Johnson is having somewhat of a resurgence of their hockey program. That is fantastic!!! I miss the days of the one class state tournament. I'll never get tired of watching it, one class or two. Anyway, nice to see Herbies alma mater making some noise again!!!!

Rangers won the Cup in 1994

1994 is a long time ago.

They had a terrific year and were very close against Tampa. They're still quite young as a team: so you may well get your wish within the next three to five years if my estimates are correct....

@@andrewgoodman4367 Yes, I was so hopeful this year bit alas... They've traded for some good players, so as long as they can build this core and give them time to work together well, then they might get a chance again soon, like you said.

With all due respect to Herb, I would like to suggest that the late, great Clair Bee was the greatest coach. His basketball teams at Long Island University...in a 9-year period...lost a total of THREE games! ALL of his players graduated from LIU. He was the eventual author of the Chip Hilton sports series...and they still make good reading today! And then we have a certain football coach up here in New England.... AHEM!!! No other football coach can touch his record! Of course, it helps to have a guy named Tom Brady at Quarterback!

ConcreteSurfer420 had a horrible NHL record for a man his status though

I wouldn't say horrible but yeah it wasn't great

Greatest Olympic coach at this moment in time with that group of kids. He wasn't that successful in the NHL.

ConcreteSurfer420 you must have herb brooks confused with anatoli tarasov

Technically no. It was just one game in group games of top four teams. Yes, it was needed for the gold, but there was four games in top group and team with most points after round robin won the gold.

In April 1986 Herb Brooks coached a Minnesota HS All Star Team in Massachusetts. Was really a unique guy.

Greatest moment in U.S. history was winning World War II. But this is the greatest sports moment in U.S. history

@@demeochris4956 yes.thats what I meant

Very correct on Sweet Lou. The other thing for me was they hardly recognize the Finland game. As much as beating the USSR was the most unlikely piece of the puzzle and without a doubt the most important part, beating Finland after the Miracle was a tremendous feat as well. Finland was good, they had USSR down a goal with 5 minutes left but lost 4-2 (makes the 10 minute US lead even more impressive). Think of the teams in March Madness that pull off unlikely upsets and then lose to a significantly lesser opponent the next game. I have wondered if part of Herb's style is the idea that he criticized and belittled his players so much that when he finally picked his time to offer a compliment they would feel so good they could move mountains. Then when they needed it, when they are going against a team that would beat them 9 out of 10 times (probably more) he made them believe, because for the first time, he told them he did. And then for the Finland game he was back to his old tricks. "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your graves......your fucking graves."

Nanne is a much much better contributer to US and MN hockey than the movie portrayed. He did not deserve that depiction. Nanne was always reported to be a long-time friend of Herb Brooks.

apologies...I think that's a KZfaq thing. Will try and fix...thanks for the comment

Tikhonov was a major league a$$hole, but he also won with almost monotonous regularity, including a sweep of the 79 Canada Cup, in which Vladimir Myshkin, the backup goalie, shut out the NHL 6-0. The Russians were put to sleep that year by a lot of little things. Brooks played the USA team just before the Games with his own team a little tired, which helped lull the Russkis to sleep. The luck of the draw helped as well. The USSR was in a group which included Japan and the Netherlands. The combined score of those two games was like 34-3. Herb taught his guys the new weaving style, much of which came from Anatoly Tarasov, the great Russian coach before Tikhonov. And the Yanks were superbly conditioned. Combine all 7 of their Olympic games, and the Americans were outscored 9-6 in all the first periods, but outscored all their opponents in the third period 16-3. As for pulling the Tretiak after the first period, I'm sure Tikhonov felt he could beat the USA with Myshkin, and was making a political statement. But the USSR wasn't giving up much. Myshkin did shut out the NHL All-Stars, true. But there is no getting round the fact that the two goals Tretiak gave up in the first period to Buzz Schneider and Mark Johnson were horrible goals. He just wasn't playing well, and Tikhonov was justified in pulling him. Brooks was the architect of this victory, and the boys he chose got it done.

Lots of punching bags like Norway, Japan, Yugoslavia, Holland and Romania in Olympic Hockey thru the 6o's-1980. Soviets lost 2 out of 6 Golds from 1960-80. They lost in the WC to Poland in 1976 They lost in 1972 and 1976 in the Canada Cup to the US. That record by no means screams Big Red Machine. In 1979 they beat an NHL Team thrown together for a week. Only legit win was one Canada Cup victory in I believe 1981.

72\76 Canada Cup losses were to Canada.

What a stupid comment. If Canada had performed and made it to the medal round they might have had a chance. Instead Canada lost to the USSR and Finland (both teams beaten by US) in pool play and then were destroyed in consolation by a team the US destroyed. So case closed on 1980. 2002 doesn't even count once Pro players flooded the rosters. This would be as lame as bragging about the 1992 Dream Team winning the Gold in Basketball. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WIN HOCKEY GAMES, you invented the sport. Care to explain why you can't win at anything else or why your shitty little country isn't even mentioned, at all?. The only reason you have a place to live is because you live next to us.

@@adamr6794 Damn Adam, commenting on a 3 year old comment hahaha. Jesus that triggered you easy. It was a joke, seriously you Americans can't take one, especially now. What Herb did in 1980 will go down as the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. He just couldn't get it done in 2002. How does 2002 not count? The best of the best we're there and the USA did amazing since they were the underdog. Since pros have played in the Olympics, Canada has won the last 3 out of 6. What has the USA won? Oh that's right, one silver and nothing more. So if pro players flooded the rosters, does that make Russias win 2018 not valid ? Its funny you say that when it comes to winning anything else other than hockey, check out the medal count at the 2010 olympics, 12 additional gold that wasn't hockey (such as Scott and Tessa winning Gold/Silver/Gold in 3 Olympics in figure skating, a sport dominated by Russia), most gold medals by a host team in Winter Olympics history. We have 37 million people compared to your 325 million and yet we are still competitive on the world stage both at the Winter and Summer Olympics.

@proud Canadian Dang, you Canadians get so butt hurt when anyone doesn't bow before your hockey alter of greatness. We all know you produce the best hockey players, have the best teams and that it's a religion in your country. Just quit being so overly f..king sensitive if someone states that the Russians might have been great (60's, 70's and 80's) or the US won an incredible victory.

Except he was trying to bring out the best in his player not trying to enrich himself.

Sextus GOTRUMP2020🇺🇸M.A.G.A. K.A.G.

Trump sexually assaulted a woman, but he sucks and so don't you asshole.

STEVE P He had to be

STEVE P, then you would have been sent home and missed out on the Gold Medal. Honestly, the best teachers/coaches I ever had were major A-holes when it came to their expectations of what we could accomplish.

Gentlemen I have a book on the great Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers. One of his players reflected that he was dealing with 40 egotistical animals on a daily basis....and that's why he was tough. The results speak for itself!!!! Mr Lombardi was in Green Bay to build a dynasty which he did in those early years. An interesting book indeed on what it takes to be a winner !!!!

Nobody gets far fighting the coach. Brooks may have been a tyrant, but I do not think it is fair to call him a bully. I think Ralph Cox said it the best, he was the last player cut. Herb's job was to take kids, just out of their teens, to an Olympic Gold Medal. He did what he needed to do. He did it masterfully, he molded a team that could play as one, and he pulled the right strings to get the Gold. That is a major league accomplishment. There would not have been many games in the Olympics that the US would have been the favorite. How many upsets are underdogs able to accomplish? Most are one game, count how many in 1980!