Ice hockey is an Olympic sport – men’s 6-person ice hockey has been an Olympic event since 1924 in Chamonix and women’s ice hockey debuted at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. The game is played on an ice rink measuring 197 feet by 98.5 feet and follows the rules set by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which differ slightly from those of the National Hockey League (NHL). The puck goes out of play when it hits the player benches, over the protective netting above the glass or any other object outside the perimeter of the rink. A stoppage in play is signaled by the officials with whistles. The game is restarted with a faceoff, in which two players face each other and the official drops the puck to the ice.
The American team trailed Sweden 2-1 late in the second period of the semifinal at Lake Placid’s Big Hat arena and seemed headed for its fourth loss of the tournament, which would keep it out of the medal round. But with time running out and the U.S. trailing in the final minute, forward Mark Johnson snagged a rebound off of Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak and slammed it past him with one second left. It was a goal the Americans still call “The Miracle on Ice” today.
The victory over the Soviet masters would be just the start of a golden run for the U.S., which would win gold in 1960 and 1980. And it was the start of an era in which the American team, led by stars such as Buzz Schneider and Wayne Gretzky, would dominate the Olympic competition for the rest of the century.