Lake Placid 'Miracle on Ice' scoreboard being replaced after 39 years
On the many visits 1980 U.S. Olympian Mike Eruzione has made to historic Herb Brooks Ice Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., he always found joy seeing the same scoreboard that was in place when the Americans pulled off the "Miracle on Ice."
For special occasions, Eruzione’s arrival being one of them, the scoreboard was set on "USA 4, USSR 3," the final score of their epic confrontation that was decided on Eruzione’s goal.
“Our names are on the walls around the building, but those were added after we won,” Eruzione told USA TODAY Sports. “But that scoreboard has been there since the beginning. That’s the last piece of the puzzle.”
But the 39-year-old scoreboard, the only one the arena has known, will be coming down at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday and replaced with a more modern scoreboard that will better serve the active arena. The arena is holding a special ceremony to commemorate the event. Buzz Schneider will represent the 1980 U.S. players.
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“I’m still amazed to this day that people come in here and they know exactly where they were, what they were doing, and who they were with, when they heard that the U.S. beat the Russians,” Olympic Regional Development Authority spokesman Jon Lundin said. “There is a lot of emotion attached to this arena and that scoreboard even 37 years later.”
Lundin said it had become impractical to keep the old scoreboard in a functioning arena. This arena hosts the Eastern College Athletic Conference men’s tournament and the NCAA Division III championship, plus numerous high school and amateur games.
“It is out-of-date,” Lundin said. “Continuing to maintain that board became more and more difficult. Finding parts became too difficult. And there was a desire to update, to move closer to what scoreboards are today with the video and electronics that are more engaging.”
Lundin said he has talked to a couple of 1980 players “and they are sad to see it go.”
The board breaks down into four panels that are roughly 9 feet by 12 feet, with a thickness of 6.25 inches. One panel will be displayed at the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and another is going to Daktronics, the company that manufactured the old and new scoreboards. Lundin said it is undecided what will happen with the final two panels.
“I’ve received phone calls from NHL teams, people who were at the game and from memorabilia collectors,” Lundin said. “I’ve lost count of all of the phone calls I’ve received about wanting it in their man cave. It’s the ultimate man-cave item.”
Lundin said the decision about the remaining two panels will be made “keeping the historical significance in mind.”
The 1980 U.S. players were given seats from the arena when they were replaced. Eruzione said he has seat No. 21, which was his number, and it’s signed by every player.
Eruizione said when he returns to Lake Placid he is always struck by how much it still looks like it did in 1980.
“It’s like the movie Pleasantville,” Eruzione said. “I walk around thinking it hasn’t changed in 37 years. But now the clock isn’t going to be there, and maybe that takes some history from the place.”
Eruzione’s most vivid memory of the scoreboard didn’t involve his goal. He remembers looking up to make sure there was time left in the first period when Mark Johnson scored to tie the game 2-2. He recalls seeing Dave Christian with the puck with the seven seconds remaining.
“All of a sudden I see Mark Johnson fly by me and the next thing I know the rebound comes out and he puts it in and I look up at the clock and saw one second left,” Eruzione said.
Eruzione said he wanted to attend the Tuesday ceremony, but he had a speaking engagement already planned.
“It’s going to be hard to go in there now and not see the old scoreboard,” Eruzione said. “Even if they put the 4-3 score up there it won’t be the same.”
