Question 1

True or false: The US team was made up entirely of NHL players on loan from professional teams.

Accepted Answer

False. All US players were amateurs, mostly college students from schools like Boston University and the University of Minnesota. No NHL players were allowed.

Question 2

True or false: The US had already beaten the Soviet Union earlier in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Accepted Answer

False. The US lost 10-3 to the Soviets in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden just before the Olympics. Their only win was the medal-round game.

Question 3

True or false: Al Michaels called the final seconds of the game, but his famous line was improvised.

Accepted Answer

True. Michaels later said he planned to say 'Do you believe in miracles?' if the US won, but he ad-libbed 'Do you believe in miracles? Yes!' in the moment.

Question 4

True or false: The US team's average age was younger than the Soviet team's by nearly a decade.

Accepted Answer

True. The US roster was mostly college kids, averaging about 21 years old, while the Soviet team averaged around 30, with many seasoned international veterans.

Question 5

True or false: The US had to beat Finland in their final game to secure the gold medal, not the Soviet Union.

Accepted Answer

True. The Olympics used a round-robin medal round. Beating the Soviets put the US in gold medal position, but they still needed to defeat Finland 4-2 to clinch gold.

Question 6

True or false: Herb Brooks had previously coached the US Olympic hockey team in 1976.

Accepted Answer

False. Brooks was the head coach for the 1980 team, but he had never coached a previous Olympic squad. He was an assistant for the 1976 team, not the head coach.

Question 7

True or false: The Soviet goalie, Vladislav Tretiak, was pulled from the game after allowing his first goal.

Accepted Answer

False. Tretiak was pulled after the US scored to tie the game 2-2 late in the first period. He was replaced by Vladimir Myshkin for the rest of the game.

Question 8

True or false: The Soviet team had not lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968 before the 1980 semifinal.

Accepted Answer

True. The Soviets had won gold in 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976, and went undefeated in Olympic play for 12 years before the US upset.

The Miracle on Ice Trivia Questions