United States performed forgotten 'Miracle on Ice' 64 years ago

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler,
known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday. 

With the NHL announcing it will participate in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics and 2030 Games, Fischler remembers the 1960 Winter Olympics Games in Squaw Valley, California, where the United States performed the first -- but often forgotten -- "Miracle on Ice."

When the United States hockey team prepared for the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics in what today is Palisades Tahoe, California, the odds were stacked high. Yet 64 years ago to this date, the country won its first gold medal in ice hockey.

For starters, the United States never placed higher than second in any previous Winter Olympics. Furthermore, competition from Canada, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Sweden became much more formidable since the games were resumed following World War II.

"We were definitely underdogs," said United States coach Jack Riley, Jr., on loan from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, where he ran the hockey program. "We couldn't possibly win a gold medal. At least that's what they all were saying before we hit the ice."

Riley couldn't have cared less what anyone was saying. He had a job to do and did it with the utmost confidence and grim determination. A Boston native and former Dartmouth star, Riley chose his players from hockey country, New England and Minnesota.  He vowed to play no favorites when the team left West Point in mid-January of 1960 on an exhibition tour that included games against college and amateur teams.

"Some of you may not like my decisions," Riley told his players. "But I want us to start the tourney with the best possible lineup."

True to his word, Riley cut two of his Army aces, Thomas Harvey and James O'Connor. Larry Palmer, also an Army star, was penciled in as starting goalie, but Riley wasn't happy with Palmer's pre-Olympic work. In a surprise move, Riley turned to an unknown Jack McCartan as starter. 

A puck-stopper who learned to play on frigid outdoor rinks, McCartan always felt that baseball was his primary sport. 

"Until I finally played in an NHL game after the Olympics," he revealed. "I hadn't seen more than five NHL games in my whole life. I was in awe of the NHL."

Another significant cut was Herb Brooks, the eventual coach of the United States team that won gold at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in the semifinals of what's popularized as "Miracle on Ice." Brooks' replacements would emerge as major factors in the eventual upset. 

Bill Cleary and Bob Cleary from Harvard were forward additions. When the team arrived at Squaw Valley, Riley made arguably his most important move, adding defenseman John Mayasich to replace Larry Alm. Mayasich helped the United States win silver at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics.

"Mayasich was one American who a few of us scouts thought could someday make the NHL,"
said Johnny Gagnon while scouting for the New York Rangers. "And in those days hardly any Americans got to 'The Show.'"

Compared to contemporary Olympic teams, Riley led a skeleton squad. He had only four defensemen including Mayasich and team captain John Kirrane, a fireman in Brookline, Massachusetts. The senior member of the team at age 29, Kirrane played at the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics.

Up front were just enough skaters for three lines and no spares. Bill Christian and Roger Christian were the second brother act of forwards. 

Each would prove formidable.

"It was an interesting group of players," said Gerry Cosby, a goalie for the United States team that won the 1933 IIHF World Championship in Prague, "but not one that you'd call loaded with stars."

The first test in the preliminary round was Czechoslovakia. After two periods, Czechoslovakia led 4-3 but the United States would display what would be a key asset, an ability to rally. Paul Johnson took a pass from Mayasich to tie the game and then Mayasich completed his hat trick with the game-winner en route to a 7-5 victory.

"It was a good start," Riley said, "but the best would yet to come."

The United States entered the six-team championship round with Canada, Sweden, Germany, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. The strongest opponents would be the Soviets and Canada. 

One reporter put it this way: "It was not believed remotely possible that the Americans could topple either of these power teams." 

Historian Kevin Hubbard, my co-author on the book "Hockey America," studied the field and agreed that -- despite additions like Mayasich -- the host team didn't have a chance. 

"Critics not only rated the U.S. below the defending gold medalists from Russia and Canada's world championship team but under Czechoslovakia and Sweden as well," Hubbard said.

Riley dismissed the naysayers prior to the opening game of the final round against Sweden. It would mark the first time the media would take notice of McCartan.

"Jack had athleticism," said Muzz Patrick, the Rangers' general manager who later signed him. "He could have played pro baseball as a third baseman, but he was best at stopping pucks."

McCartan held down strong skating, hard shooting Sweden in a 6-3 victory. The United States next routed Germany 9-1, but this was small potatoes compared to its next opponent, Canada.

"This would be the first really major test," Hubbard said, "and 8,500 roaring fans packed Blyth Arena to see if our guys could handle the world champions from Canada. They would be facing Don Head, a goalie who later would play for the Boston Bruins in 1961-62 and was a highly regarded minor league pro compared to the still unknown McCartan."

Bob Cleary, who almost didn't make the United States roster, made coach Riley look good by beating Head at 12:47 of the opening period. Mayasich, the last addition to the roster, orchestrated the play with a booming slap shot. Johnson added to the lead late in the second when he beat Head with a backhand.

James Connelly finally beat McCartan at 13:38, but the goalie finished with 39 saves and had the quote of the day:

"All I could see were streaks of green Canadians."

Beaming, Riley said, "Jack made one incredible save after another."

Canada captain and future Boston Bruins coach Harry Sinden called the 2-1 loss, "The most disappointing thing of my career."

The network television producers also were disappointed.

"They were so sure that Canada would beat us that they scheduled a Canada-Russia matchup next," Bill Cleary said. "They thought that that was going to be the feature. No one gave us a chance."

Then, a pause:

"Before the games started, I think they had us finishing 12th," Cleary said. "But then, what happened? We started to win, and people got excited."

The home crowd got even more thrills that Sunday afternoon when the United States faced the mighty Soviet Union. Blyth Arena was filled, and a huge TV audience was watching the game on both sides of the United States-Canada border.

As expected, the Soviets took 2-1 lead into the second period, but then the Minnesota brother act went into action. Roger Christian teamed up with Bill to tie the game 2-2. Back and forth the teams battled in the third period until the Christians did it again. Bill took passes from Tom Williams and brother Roger at 14:59 to put the United States ahead to stay.

"That was it," Riley said, "because McCartan wasn't going to let the Russians score again."

Understating his amazing performance, McCartain said, "This is a very exciting time of my life."

Said Hubbard: "When the buzzer went off, the crowd cheered an underdog U.S squad that now was in the driver's seat to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey."

In the way was Czechoslovakia and a few other unexpected obstacles, especially fatigue.

"We beat the Russians on Saturday afternoon," Mayasich said, "and had to get up at five in the morning on Sunday. We had only two sets of (defensemen) and played every game and that took a lot out of us."

There would be no schedule change Feb. 28, 1960. Sure enough, the more energetic opponents led 4-3 at the end of two.

"We knew we had at least one good period left in us," Mayasich said.

(They also had one surprise friend emerge from nowhere.)

Nikolai "Sollu" Sologubov, the jovial Soviet captain, had befriended some of the United States skaters. Uninvited, he visited its locker room and offered a suggestion:

"Take some oxygen and get some more energy."

Said Riley: "Some of our guys took his advice."

Riley later told S. Kip Farrington, author of "Skates, Sticks and Men," that it was "my team's burning desire to win that eventually made the difference."

The real difference-makers were the Cleary and Christian brothers. At 5:59 of the third, Roger Christian tied the score on a pass from Bill. Within two minutes, Mayasich skimmed a pass to Bob Cleary, who scored what would be the gold medal-winning goal. Bob got one more and the United States scored six unanswered third-period goals to win 9-4.

The United States had its first-ever gold medal and national TV coverage gave ice hockey its biggest boost in the country up until that moment.

"For us," McCartan said, "it was a special feeling because something like that had never happened before."

Two graduates of the 1960 team enjoyed NHL careers: Williams, who skated on a line with the Christian brothers, was signed by the Bruins for the 1961-62 season. He eventually became a regular and played 13 seasons in the NHL, at the time the only United States-born player in the League.

Although the Christian and Cleary brothers starred for Riley, it was McCartan who emerged the most popular hero. The Rangers signed him and started him against Gordie Howe's Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden on March 6, 1960. I covered that game and my most vivid memory was McCartan stopping a Howe breakaway early, leading to a 3-1 Rangers win.

"The reason I was able to get a chance with the Rangers was because of all the gold medal publicity," McCartan told me. "The ratio between the publicity and my possibilities of actually making it to the NHL was about 80 percent publicity and 20 percent fact."

McCartan finished the season in New York allowing only seven goals in four games, good for a 1.75 goals-against average. When he returned the following fall, it was a different story.

"I was up against players like Bobby Hull, Alex Delvecchio and all the great Montreal (Canadiens) players," he said. "After eight games, I was demoted to Kitchener in the minors and that was it for me and the NHL."

Nor did he have any regrets.

"I didn't last all that long, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. I was happy enough to just get to the NHL, to compete and see what it was like. I always loved the game of hockey and loved that we got that gold medal at Squaw Valley."

We all loved that original -- and often understated -- Miracle on Ice!