Photo from PR Newswire.
“Do you believe in miracles? … Yes!” Al Michaels famous call as the crowd roared during the final seconds of the United States’ 1980 Men’s Olympic hockey team’s 4-3 victory over the Soviet Union. Many consider the upset by the American college kids over the mighty Soviets the greatest sporting event the world has ever seen.
A second miracle is coming back to Lake Placid, almost a half-century later.
Photo from Anheuser-Busch.
On January 15, Northwood’s home rink, the Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center, will be re-hosting this iconic game once again, updated with today’s modern technologies. The exact same game will be taking place on the exact same rink with the exact same players, but how, you may ask? With holograms. With extraordinarily precise lasers, lights, and audio effects, the game will be played again.
The archival footage will be brought to life through full-surface ice projection. The equipment needed to pull off this sort of event is, as you can imagine, highly advanced. Rumors circulating around the rink this week estimate the total cost of this event is well over two million dollars. Unfortunately, the event sponsor, Michelob Ultra, sets the entry age to 21. For anyone underage or unable to attend live, the game will stream on Peacock in February.
The goal of the reenactment is to raise support for Team USA as they head to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The excitement is evident; Lake Placid has been buzzing. I had the opportunity to catch up with Northwood girls’ hockey player, Ryan Erster ‘27, who caught a glimpse of a practice run: “It was unlike anything I have ever seen, human-sized holograms skating, shooting, and fighting with the perfect sounds to match it all!”
A few lucky Northwood faculty members have found tickets, including Trevor Gilligan and Andy Donatello. Until the rest of us can watch in February, find them to ask them about their experience.
