For the first time in 46 years, Team USA won Olympic gold in men's ice hockey, defeating Canada in the gold-medal game of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The last U.S. team to win gold was the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" group.
In 1980, Olympic men's hockey was still an amateur event, and coach Herb Brooks built his roster from college hockey players and recent graduates. The U.S. stunned the Soviet Union 4-3 and won gold two days later against Finland.
In 2026, NHL players returned to Olympic men's hockey for the first time since 2014. But college hockey still showed up in a big way, with 20 of 25 players on Team USA's roster having NCAA experience.
Where did the Team USA gold medalists in 2026 and 1980 play college hockey?
Across the 1980 and 2026 gold medal rosters combined, 88% of the players had college hockey ties, including 20 NCAA alums on the 2026 roster.
Here's the college hockey foundation behind both U.S. gold medal teams.
Minnesota (11):
- 2026: Brock Faber, Jackson LaCombe.
- 1980: Bill Baker, Neal Broten, Steve Christoff, Steve Janaszak, Rob McClanahan, Mike Ramsey, Buzz Schneider, Eric Strobel, Phil Verchota.
Boston U. (9):
- 2026: Jack Eichel, Clayton Keller, Charlie McAvoy, Jake Oettinger, Brady Tkachuk.
- 1980: Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Jack O'Callahan, Dave Silk.
Michigan (4):
- 2026: Kyle Connor, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski.
North Dakota (3):
- 2026: Brock Nelson, Jake Sanderson.
- 1980: Dave Christian.
Boston College (2):
- 2026: Matt Boldy, Noah Hanifin.
Bowling Green (2):
- 1980: Ken Morrow, Mark Wells.
Wisconsin (2):
- 1980: Mark Johnson, Bob Suter.
Minnesota Duluth (2):
- 1980: John Harrington, Mark Pavelich.
Colorado College: Jaccob Slavin (2026).
Omaha: Jake Guentzel (2026).
UConn: Tage Thompson (2026).
UMass Lowell: Connor Hellebuyck (2026).
University of Maine: Jeremy Swayman (2026).
NCAA champions to Olympians
While Team USA's 2026 roster leaned on NCAA-developed talent, the 1980 Miracle on Ice team also featured a deep core of NCAA champions. In all, 14 players on the 1980 roster won at least one NCAA men's ice hockey national title in college.
- Boston U.: Jim Craig, Jack O'Callahan, Dave Silk.
- Wisconsin: Mark Johnson, Bob Suter.
- Minnesota: Bill Baker, Neal Broten, Steve Christoff, Steve Janaszak, Rob McClanahan, Mike Ramsey, Buzz Schneider, Eric Strobel, Phil Verchota.
Miracle on Ice NCAA facts
- Mark Johnson, a member of the Miracle on Ice team, is currently the head coach of the Wisconsin women's ice hockey team. In fact, six of his current and former players just won gold for Team USA. Johnson has led Wisconsin to an NCAA-best eight national championships as head coach and is the winningest coach in college women's ice hockey history.
- Herb Brooks, the 1980 Team USA coach, played college hockey at Minnesota, transitioning to coaching at his alma mater after graduation.
- Brooks took over as Minnesota's head coach in 1972, when the program was last in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and within two years led the Gophers to their first NCAA national title. Minnesota also won titles under Brooks in 1976 and 1979.
- A year before the Olympics, eight Minnesota players won the 1979 NCAA national championship: Bill Baker, Neal Broten, Steve Christoff, Steve Janaszak, Rob McClanahan, Mike Ramsey, Eric Strobel and Phil Verchota. Another player, Buzz Schneider, was on the Minnesota team that won it all in 1974.
