1980 Miracle On Ice

(H: 17mm; W: 15mm; Cloisonne; Stick Pin)

Above is the 1980 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) NOC Olympic hockey team pin. It is one of my favorite pins because of what it represents and the memories I have associated with the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team victory over the Soviets on February 22, 1980. I was an avid hockey fan from a young age. I was born and spent several years of my youth in Michigan, where my grandparents boarded hockey players for the IHL's Flint Generals hockey team. I remember having Generals' players around the house on Christmas, giving the kids sticks and pucks for presents (that's me, below, in 1974 refusing to let go of my Sher-Wood during the Christmas family photo--we'll leave discussion of hairstyles to someone else's blog). After my mom, sister and I moved to Salt Lake City in 1978, I remember sitting in our little apartment and watching on the television as the United States hockey team, comprised of amateur and college hockey players, defeated the Soviet national team, which at the time was considered to be the best hockey team in the world. The "Do You Believe in Miracles" game was a proud moment in American history, and an important moment in the history of the game of hockey. In fact, as part of the International Ice Hockey Federation's 100th anniversary in 2008, the IIHF selected the Miracle on Ice as the number one international ice hockey story of the 20th century. Thus, owning this pin, which is a representation of one of the most dominant hockey teams in history, is a special honor. More than any other pin that comes to mind at the moment, this pin is a piece of history.