This doc drops you right into Team USA’s 1980 Olympic hockey run. A group of college kids going up against a Soviet Union team that had dominated the sport for years.
My colleague Rob Kelly listed this one in his list of The 20 Best Hockey Documentaries (Ranked 2026).
Trailer for “Miracle: The Boys of ’80”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- The Soviet team crushed NHL All-Stars 6–0 months before the Olympics. Then a bunch of U.S. college kids beat them when it mattered most.
- Coach Herb Brooks cut players constantly during camp—sometimes minutes before games—just to build a roster that could skate with the Soviets.
- The famous “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” call came before the game was even over. Al Michaels said it with seconds still on the clock.
Watch “Miracle: The Boys of ’80”
You can watch “Miracle: The Boys of ’80” on Netflix.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 94/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: not yet rated
Director’s Note: Max Gershberg and Jacob Rogal directed this one. It leans heavily on firsthand interviews with surviving players and new footage.
Release Date: 2026
Other Unique Stuff
- Herb Brooks wasn’t just a tough coach—he was kind of playing mind games. He put guys from rival college teams together on purpose so they’d stop thinking about “my school” and start thinking like one team.
- The players didn’t really think about the Cold War stuff while it was happening. To them, it wasn’t USA vs. USSR—it was more like “we’re tired and just trying to get through practice.”
- Everyone talks about beating the Soviets, but the doc shows something people forget—they still had to beat Finland after that. And a lot of the guys were completely drained by then.
Wrap Up:
“Miracle: The Boys of ’80” is about a coach who bets everything on a system and a group of kids who buy in. Even if you know the ending, it still feels impossible.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc