United States silver medal win at 1972 Olympics 'felt like gold'

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, also known as "The Hockey Maven," brings his humor and insight to our readers every Wednesday. This week reflects on how a forgotten United States team at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics scored a major upset by winning a silver medal and got as much applause as the gold medalists from the Soviet Union.

The year was 1972 and the chance of Team USA winning any kind of hockey medal at the Sapporo Olympics were dismissed out of hand by the oddsmakers. Goalie Pete Sears of Lake Placid, New York, felt the negativism before the games began.

"The Russians were the heavy favorites," Sears said in "Striking Silver: The Untold Story of America's Forgotten Hockey Team" by Tom and Jerry Caraccioli. "They were what we considered top pros, NHL style. They'd had won two straight Olympic golds and four in five years. They were turning opposing teams into mere pylons. We weren't in their class and that's the way everyone else felt."

The Caracciolis pointed out that since the games were being held in Northern Japan, it detracted from worldwide attention.

"At first, I figured that this wasn't going to be very interesting to anybody," Team USA coach Murray Williamson said for the book. "We were the club that nobody ever knew about, and our American teams in the two previous Winter Olympics didn't show much."

The U.S. finished fifth (2-5-0) at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics and sixth (2-5-1) at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics, but a few who played for the 1971 U.S. National team gained valuable international experience. They included Henry Boucha, Tim Sheehy, Robbie Ftorek, and a 16-year-old defenseman and forward named Mark Howe. All four eventually would make it to either the NHL, the World Hockey Association, or both.

"Despite his age," Ftorek said, " Mark Howe made the team, not because his father was Gordie Howe, but because of his skills and overall ability. Make no mistake, the kid was in a tough spot."

Along with Ftorek, goalie Mike "Lefty" Curran, a veteran of international competition, liked the feel of Team USA as the games approached. 

"I saw a spark in their eyes," Curran, the eventual starter, told the Caracciolis. "I saw an innocence and optimism that I had never experienced. It was like a young soldier going off to battle, thinking that he's going to win the war for his country. These guys were geared up, although it seemed like some of them were still drinking mother's milk."

Williamson, from Winnipeg, was confronted with a format where his team had to win a one-game qualifier in order to play in the round-robin medal round. 

"We had to beat Switzerland or be dropped into Pool B with no chance for a medal." Williamson said. "Our strategy was to reduce the pressure. Play for fun and not risk a big buildup with the potential for disaster. It was a case of 'Let's low-profile this thing and get by that first game.'"

There was no press hype like what was evident during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

"We just played for ourselves," Williamson said. "We knew exactly what we wanted to do. We didn't want the press to push us. We didn't need it."

The hockey tournament at the Sapporo Games, the first to be held in the East outside of Europe or America, began Feb. 3, 1972. A day later, the United States faced off against Switzerland in the qualifying game with Japan Emperor Hirohito in the capacity crowd.

"There was no greater pressure," Williamson said. "The Swiss goalie (Gerald Rigolet) was making saves that literally bounced off the knob of his stick. We were on the brink of a disaster, so we really had to persevere."

The score was 3-3 early in the third period when Tim Sheehy put the U.S. ahead to stay en route to a 5-3 victory. Thrust into the round-robin medal round, the U.S. played Sweden on Feb. 5. After taking an early first-period lead, the Swedes cruised to a 5-1 victory.

"I still thought we could win a medal," U.S. defenseman Charles Brown told the Caracciolis. "Maybe I was being naive, but I thought we could."

Next up was another tournament favorite, Czechoslovakia. Although the game was tied 1-1 at the end of the first, the Americans were outshot, 19-4. Curran was doing an earlier version of what Connor Hellebuyck put on display in Milan to help Team USA win its first gold medal in men's hockey since the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. 

Sure enough, the U.S. scored three consecutive goals in the second and another in the third for a 5-1 win behind Curran's 51 saves. 

"It was the game of my life," Curran said. "At the time we didn't know it, but that game was for the silver medal."

The victory glow faded when the Soviets ran away with a 7-2 victory Feb. 9.

"We were hanging tough," Williamson said. "They just beat us."

Yet there still was some gas in the Americans' tank against Finland on Feb. 10.

"We were prepared," Curran said, "and just dominated them. They never had a chance."  

Final score: USA 4, Finland, 1.

Williamson now realized that if his team could win its final game, it would have a chance to do what was thought impossible at the start of the tourney, win an Olympic medal. Only Poland stood in the way.

"They respected the Poles," wrote Tom and Jerry Caraccioli, "but the young Americans would not be denied. It was a 6-1 rout, and the silver still was in view. Two final games would provide the answer -- medal or not? The results of Finland vs. Sweden and the Czechs against the Soviets would be decisive. 

"Williamson's guys could end up with a silver medal, a bronze medal or nothing but their pride. Sweden was favored over Finland and Russians over Czechs."

The Olympic roulette wheel turned and when it stopped it was Finland 4, Sweden 3. 

"It was unbelievable what was happening," said defenseman Tom Mellor, who led the U.S. with six goals in six games. "We could actually come away with silver … but only if the Russians beat the Czechs,"

The tiebreaking system in 1972 was based on head-to-head competition. A Czech loss would leave them and Team USA at 3-2-0, but the U.S. defeated Team Czech in the medal round. It was impossible to tell which way the pendulum would swing, but the Americans had confidence in the Russians, who were at the top of their game. 

And so they were, winning 5-2. America had won the silver medal.

Looking ahead to the 1980 "Miracle" at Lake Placid, Ftorek put it best: "When you see other people before you have done it, and that it can be done, it's a big boost to believing you can do it too. We set a tone for a lot of athletes.

"Our silver felt like gold to us."