Herb Brooks
Encyclopedia
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American
ice hockey
player and coach
. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union
in the 1980 Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid
, New York on February 22, 1980. The victory was later dubbed the “Miracle on Ice
” after ABC
Sports television
announcer Al Michaels'
emotional call during the closing seconds of the game. The team defeated Finland
two nights later to win the gold medal.
Herb Brooks played collegiately at the University of Minnesota
. He was the final player cut from the Olympic squad which would ultimately win the gold medal over Czechoslovakia
at the 1960 Winter Olympics
in Squaw Valley
, California
. However, he played on the 1964
and 1968
Olympic squads. He never played professionally. After retiring as a player, he became a coach, notably leading the Minnesota Golden Gophers
to NCAA titles in 1974, 1976, and 1979. Soon after Minnesota won their third college championship, he was hired to coach the Olympic team
. He named several of his Minnesota players to the team, but also named players from the their rival, Boston University
, to the team and kept two players from the previous squad. The remainder of the team was players from other schools. To compete with the Soviet Union team specifically, Herb Brooks developed a hybrid of the methodical American/Canadian
style and the faster European
style, which emphasized creativity and teamwork, a difficult thing given the sometimes intense rivalry between the University of Minnesota and Boston University. He also stressed peak conditioning, believing that one of the reasons the Soviet team had dominated international competition was that many of their opponents were exhausted by the third period.
Sports Illustrated
named the team Sportsman of the Year
. and in 1999, the victory over the Soviet Union was named the 20th century's greatest sports moment.
After the Olympics, Herb Brooks was hired as the head coach of the National Hockey League's
New York Rangers
. He also coached the Minnesota North Stars
(now the Dallas Stars
), the New Jersey Devils
, and the Pittsburgh Penguins
. He also coached the French hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan
and again coached the United States men's hockey team at the 2002 games
in Salt Lake City, Utah
. They won a silver medal.
On August 11, 2003, Herb Brooks died in a single-car crash near Forest Lake, Minnesota
. He was the Pittsburgh Penguins' director of player personnel at the time of his death.
Brooks was portrayed by Karl Malden
in the 1981 television
film Miracle on Ice
and by Kurt Russell
in the 2004 feature film Miracle
. Brooks was an adviser on the latter. He died soon after principal photography was completed and Miracle is dedicated to him. Before the closing credits, the film shows Brooks in the iconic shot of him looking up at the scoreboard after team captain Mike Eruzione scored what was ultimately the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union with exactly ten minutes remaining in the game. “He never saw it. He lived it”, reads the commemoration. He also appeared in an episode of HBO's Sports of the 20th Century program.
In 2003, the entire 1980 Olympic hockey team was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Olympic Center
in Lake Placid, New York, the arena where the Miracle on Ice occurred, was renamed Herb Brooks Arena in 2005. On November 13, 2006, Brooks was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in Toronto
, Canada
as a Builder.
, Minnesota
, to Herbert Brooks, Sr. and Pauline Brooks, Brooks. He attended Johnson High School
, where he won the 1955 state hockey championship.
.jpg)
Brooks continued his hockey career with the University of Minnesota Gophers from 1955-1959. Brooks was a member of the 1960 Olympic team
, only to become the last cut the week before the Games started. Three weeks later, Brooks sat at home with his father and watched the team he almost made win gold. Afterwards, Brooks "went up to the coach [Jack Riley] and said, 'Well, you must have made the right decision—you won.; this humbling moment served as motivation for an already self-driven person.
From 1960-1970, Brooks set a record by playing on a total of eight US National and Olympic teams, including the 1964 and 1968 Olympic squads. Later, he coached the University of Minnesota Gophers hockey team to three NCAA championships (1974, 1976, and 1979). Brooks was approached by Michigan Tech
after head coach John MacInnes
died in 1983 but turned their offer down. Brooks finished his collegiate coaching with a record of 175 wins, 101 losses and 20 ties. In 1980, he became the first coach of the United States to lead his hand-picked team to victory against the USSR in 20 years. The "miracle" team mostly consisted of University of Minnesota players and their rival Boston University players.
for a year to coach HC Davos
in the National League A. From 1981-85, he coached in the National Hockey League
for the New York Rangers
, where he became the first American-born coach in Rangers' team history to win 100 games. He also coached the Minnesota North Stars
(from 1987–88), New Jersey Devils
(1992–93), and Pittsburgh Penguins
(1999–2000). He was a long-time scout for the Penguins from the mid-1990s, and held the role of Director of Player Personnel from 2002 to the day of his death.
He also coached France in the 1998 Winter Olympics
.
He again coached the U.S. hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, leading them all the way to the tournament finals. This included a 3-2 win over Russia in the semi-finals, 22 years to the day after their famous "Miracle on Ice" game. Team USA lost to Canada in the final match to take the silver medal.
He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1990, International Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1999, and the Hockey Hall of Fame
(posthumously) in 2006.
, on Interstate 35
. It is believed that he fell asleep behind the wheel before the accident after driving all night, and neither drugs nor alcohol was responsible. Brooks was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, and according to the Minnesota State Patrol it is likely he would have survived the crash if he had been.
Disney
released a film about the 1980 Olympic team in 2004
called Miracle
featuring Kurt Russell
playing the part of Brooks (Karl Malden
had previously played Brooks in a 1981
television film called Miracle on Ice
). Brooks served as a consultant during principal photography
, which was completed shortly before his death. At the end of the movie there is a dedication to Brooks. It states, "He never saw it. He lived it."
Upon the 25th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, the Olympic ice arena in Lake Placid, New York
, where the United States won the gold medal, was renamed Herb Brooks Arena
. A statue of Brooks depicting his reaction to the victory in the "Miracle" game was erected in Saint Paul, Minnesota
, in 2003.
An award was created in Brooks' name, the Herb Brooks Award, which is awarded at the conclusion of the Minnesota State High School League
's state hockey tournament to "the most qualified hockey player in the state tournament who strongly represents the values, characteristics, and traits that defined Herb Brooks."
In Blaine, Minnesota
, there is a training center called Herb Brooks Training Center.
The road that surrounds the National Hockey Center
in St. Cloud, Minnesota
is called Herb Brooks Way.
In 2006, Brooks was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in the Builders' category. The inscription reads: "A man of passion and dedication, Herb Brooks inspired a generation of Americans to pursue any and all dreams."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player and coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, New York on February 22, 1980. The victory was later dubbed the “Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
” after ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Sports television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
announcer Al Michaels'
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
emotional call during the closing seconds of the game. The team defeated Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
two nights later to win the gold medal.
Herb Brooks played collegiately at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He was the final player cut from the Olympic squad which would ultimately win the gold medal over Czechoslovakia
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
at the 1960 Winter Olympics
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
in Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley, California
Squaw Valley, California may refer to:*Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, census-designated place located in Fresno County, California*Squaw Valley, Placer County, California, community in Placer County, California and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. However, he played on the 1964
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
and 1968
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
Olympic squads. He never played professionally. After retiring as a player, he became a coach, notably leading the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
to NCAA titles in 1974, 1976, and 1979. Soon after Minnesota won their third college championship, he was hired to coach the Olympic team
Ice hockey at the Olympic Games
Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics...
. He named several of his Minnesota players to the team, but also named players from the their rival, Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, to the team and kept two players from the previous squad. The remainder of the team was players from other schools. To compete with the Soviet Union team specifically, Herb Brooks developed a hybrid of the methodical American/Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
style and the faster European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
style, which emphasized creativity and teamwork, a difficult thing given the sometimes intense rivalry between the University of Minnesota and Boston University. He also stressed peak conditioning, believing that one of the reasons the Soviet team had dominated international competition was that many of their opponents were exhausted by the third period.
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named the team Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
. and in 1999, the victory over the Soviet Union was named the 20th century's greatest sports moment.
After the Olympics, Herb Brooks was hired as the head coach of the National Hockey League's
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. He also coached the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
(now the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
), the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. He also coached the French hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and again coached the United States men's hockey team at the 2002 games
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. They won a silver medal.
On August 11, 2003, Herb Brooks died in a single-car crash near Forest Lake, Minnesota
Forest Lake, Minnesota
Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,375 at the 2010 census. It is located on Minnesota's 94th largest lake .Interstate 35 and U.S...
. He was the Pittsburgh Penguins' director of player personnel at the time of his death.
Brooks was portrayed by Karl Malden
Karl Malden
Karl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
in the 1981 television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
film Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice (1981 film)
Miracle on Ice is a 1981 American television biographical sports film for ABC about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks , that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics...
and by Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
in the 2004 feature film Miracle
Miracle (film)
Miracle is a 2004 American biographical sports film about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet team in the medal round was dubbed the Miracle on Ice...
. Brooks was an adviser on the latter. He died soon after principal photography was completed and Miracle is dedicated to him. Before the closing credits, the film shows Brooks in the iconic shot of him looking up at the scoreboard after team captain Mike Eruzione scored what was ultimately the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union with exactly ten minutes remaining in the game. “He never saw it. He lived it”, reads the commemoration. He also appeared in an episode of HBO's Sports of the 20th Century program.
In 2003, the entire 1980 Olympic hockey team was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Olympic Center
Herb Brooks Arena
The Herb Brooks Arena, known as the Olympic Center until 2005, is a 7,700-seat multi-purpose arena in Lake Placid, New York. This arena was built for the 1932 Winter Olympics, the first indoor arena used for the Winter Olympics. For the 1932 Games, it hosted the figure skating and six of the twelve...
in Lake Placid, New York, the arena where the Miracle on Ice occurred, was renamed Herb Brooks Arena in 2005. On November 13, 2006, Brooks was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a Builder.
Early life
Herb Brooks was born in Saint PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, to Herbert Brooks, Sr. and Pauline Brooks, Brooks. He attended Johnson High School
Johnson Senior High School (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Johnson Senior High School is a comprehensive high school for grades 9 to 12 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. Originally named Cleveland High School, the school was renamed after Minnesota governor John A. Johnson in 1911. Johnson is the second oldest high school in the Saint Paul Public Schools...
, where he won the 1955 state hockey championship.
Ice hockey at the 1960 Winter Olympics
At the 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, California, United States, one ice hockey event was held: men's Ice Hockey. This tournament was also counted as IIHF World Championship and IIHF European Championship. Games were held at Blyth Arena.Canada, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and...
, only to become the last cut the week before the Games started. Three weeks later, Brooks sat at home with his father and watched the team he almost made win gold. Afterwards, Brooks "went up to the coach [Jack Riley] and said, 'Well, you must have made the right decision—you won.; this humbling moment served as motivation for an already self-driven person.
From 1960-1970, Brooks set a record by playing on a total of eight US National and Olympic teams, including the 1964 and 1968 Olympic squads. Later, he coached the University of Minnesota Gophers hockey team to three NCAA championships (1974, 1976, and 1979). Brooks was approached by Michigan Tech
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
after head coach John MacInnes
John MacInnes
John J. MacInnes was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and NCAA hockey head coach. He was born in Toronto, Ontario.-Playing career:...
died in 1983 but turned their offer down. Brooks finished his collegiate coaching with a record of 175 wins, 101 losses and 20 ties. In 1980, he became the first coach of the United States to lead his hand-picked team to victory against the USSR in 20 years. The "miracle" team mostly consisted of University of Minnesota players and their rival Boston University players.
Later career
After his Olympic gold medal win, Brooks moved to SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
for a year to coach HC Davos
HC Davos
Hockey Club Davos is a professional Swiss ice hockey club based in Davos, Switzerland. Davos play in the Swiss National League A, which is ranked as Europe's sixth best ice hockey league. The team is usually a strong force in the league and often bolster their roster with Swiss national team...
in the National League A. From 1981-85, he coached in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, where he became the first American-born coach in Rangers' team history to win 100 games. He also coached the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
(from 1987–88), New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
(1992–93), and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
(1999–2000). He was a long-time scout for the Penguins from the mid-1990s, and held the role of Director of Player Personnel from 2002 to the day of his death.
He also coached France in the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
.
He again coached the U.S. hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, leading them all the way to the tournament finals. This included a 3-2 win over Russia in the semi-finals, 22 years to the day after their famous "Miracle on Ice" game. Team USA lost to Canada in the final match to take the silver medal.
He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 1990, International Hockey Hall of Fame
International Hockey Hall of Fame
The International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on the Kingston Memorial Centre grounds features many exhibits within their museum about the history of ice hockey.-Historic Hockey Series:...
in 1999, and the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
(posthumously) in 2006.
Death and legacy
At the age of 66, Brooks died in a single car accident on the afternoon of August 11, 2003, near Forest Lake, MinnesotaForest Lake, Minnesota
Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,375 at the 2010 census. It is located on Minnesota's 94th largest lake .Interstate 35 and U.S...
, on Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
. It is believed that he fell asleep behind the wheel before the accident after driving all night, and neither drugs nor alcohol was responsible. Brooks was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, and according to the Minnesota State Patrol it is likely he would have survived the crash if he had been.
Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
released a film about the 1980 Olympic team in 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
called Miracle
Miracle (film)
Miracle is a 2004 American biographical sports film about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet team in the medal round was dubbed the Miracle on Ice...
featuring Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
playing the part of Brooks (Karl Malden
Karl Malden
Karl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
had previously played Brooks in a 1981
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
television film called Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice (1981 film)
Miracle on Ice is a 1981 American television biographical sports film for ABC about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks , that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics...
). Brooks served as a consultant during principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
, which was completed shortly before his death. At the end of the movie there is a dedication to Brooks. It states, "He never saw it. He lived it."
Upon the 25th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, the Olympic ice arena in Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, where the United States won the gold medal, was renamed Herb Brooks Arena
Herb Brooks Arena
The Herb Brooks Arena, known as the Olympic Center until 2005, is a 7,700-seat multi-purpose arena in Lake Placid, New York. This arena was built for the 1932 Winter Olympics, the first indoor arena used for the Winter Olympics. For the 1932 Games, it hosted the figure skating and six of the twelve...
. A statue of Brooks depicting his reaction to the victory in the "Miracle" game was erected in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, in 2003.
An award was created in Brooks' name, the Herb Brooks Award, which is awarded at the conclusion of the Minnesota State High School League
Minnesota State High School League
The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools...
's state hockey tournament to "the most qualified hockey player in the state tournament who strongly represents the values, characteristics, and traits that defined Herb Brooks."
In Blaine, Minnesota
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
, there is a training center called Herb Brooks Training Center.
The road that surrounds the National Hockey Center
National Hockey Center
The National Hockey Center is a 5,763-seat hockey arena in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It is home to the St. Cloud State University Huskies men's & women's ice hockey teams, and the Saint John's University Johnnies ice hockey team. The main rink is now named for former SCSU President Brendan J....
in St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
is called Herb Brooks Way.
In 2006, Brooks was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in the Builders' category. The inscription reads: "A man of passion and dedication, Herb Brooks inspired a generation of Americans to pursue any and all dreams."
Personal
Brooks was married to his wife Patti in 1965, and they had two children, Danny and Kelly.Brooksisms
Brooks' original expressions were known by his players as "Brooksisms." According to Olympians John Harrington, Dave Silk, and Mike Eruzione, these are a few.- "You're playing worse and worse every day and right now you're playing like it's next month."
- "You can't be common, the common man goes nowhere; you have to be uncommon."
- "Boys, I'm asking you to go to the well again."
- "You look like you have a five pound fart on your head."
- "You guys are getting bent over and they're not using Vaseline."
- "You look like a monkey tryin' to hump a football!"
- "You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country.”
- "Great moments are born from great opportunities."
- "You know, Willie Wonka said it best: we are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."
- "This team isn't talented enough to win on talent alone."
- "If you lose this game you'll take it to your grave...your fucking grave."
- "You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours."
- "Write your own book instead of reading someone else's book about success."
- "Boys, in the front of the net its a bloody nose alley."
- "Don't dump the puck in. That went out with short pants."
- "Throw the puck back and weave, weave, weave. But don't just weave for the sake of weaving."
- "Lets be idealistic, but lets also be practical."
- "You guys don't want to work during the game?"
Coaching statistics
Note: GC = Games coached, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime loss, Pts = Points, Pct = Winning percentage| Season | Team | League | GC | W | L | T | OL | Pts | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
34 | 15 | 16 | 3 | — | 33 | 0.485 |
| 1973–74 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
34 | 17 | 12 | 5 | — | 39 | 0.574 |
| 1974–75 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
42 | 31 | 10 | 1 | — | 63 | 0.750 |
| 1975-76 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
38 | 23 | 14 | 1 | — | 47 | 0.618 |
| 1976–77 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
42 | 17 | 22 | 3 | — | 37 | 0.440 |
| 1977–78 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
38 | 22 | 14 | 2 | — | 46 | 0.605 |
| 1978–79 | Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
44 | 32 | 11 | 1 | — | 65 | 0.739 |
| 1980 Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics was held at the Olympic Arena and the Olympic Fieldhouse in Lake Placid, New York. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, which was held from February 12 to February 24... |
USA Olympic Men's Team | IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members... |
Olympic Gold Medal Team Miracle on Ice The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22... |
||||||
| 1980–81 | HC Davos HC Davos Hockey Club Davos is a professional Swiss ice hockey club based in Davos, Switzerland. Davos play in the Swiss National League A, which is ranked as Europe's sixth best ice hockey league. The team is usually a strong force in the league and often bolster their roster with Swiss national team... |
Swiss-A | 28 | 11 | 16 | 1 | — | 23 | 0.411 |
| 1981–82 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
80 | 39 | 27 | 14 | — | 92 | 0.575 (Lost Second Round) |
| 1982–83 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
80 | 35 | 35 | 10 | — | 80 | 0.500 (Lost Second Round) |
| 1983–84 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
80 | 42 | 29 | 9 | — | 93 | 0.581 (Lost First Round) |
| 1984–85 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
45 | 15 | 22 | 8 | — | 38 | 0.422 (fired) |
| 1986–87 | St. Cloud State Huskies St. Cloud State University St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher... |
NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States... |
36 | 25 | 10 | 1 | — | 51 | 0.708 |
| 1987–88 | Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... (missed playoffs) |
80 | 19 | 48 | 13 | — | 51 | 0.319 |
| 1991–92 | Utica Devils Utica Devils The Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
80 | 34 | 40 | 6 | — | 74 | 0.463 |
| 1992–93 | New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
84 | 40 | 37 | 7 | — | 87 | 0.518 (Lost First Round) |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
France Olympic Men's Team | IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members... |
11th-place finish | ||||||
| 1999–2000 | Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
58 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 63 | 0.543 (Lost Second Round) |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
USA Olympic Men's Team | IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members... |
Olympic Silver Medal Team | ||||||
| NCAA career totals | 308 | 182 | 109 | 17 | — | 381 | 0.619 | ||
| NHL career totals | 507 | 219 | 222 | 66 | 0 | 504 | 0.497 | ||
External links
- Biography – The Herb Brooks Foundation
- Miracle (2004) Movie Origins
- Coach known best for 1980 hockey gold – ESPN Classic
- Herb Brooks killed in car accident – Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
- Herb Brooks' U.S. Olympic Team bio
- Gopher Hockey History Player Info
- The Herb Brooks Foundation
- wcha.com