Mike Eruzione

and rallied people.

We didn't go to Lake Placid to rally a whole country.

We didn't even know.

Think about it.

There was no Facebook or Twitter.

There were three TV stations.

The social media didn't exist.

And yet when we won, when we got out into the country and realized that this thing was, wow, pretty big,

And I think, again, we take, even 45 years later, take great pride in knowing that people came together because of what our team was able to do.

Not me, what our team was able to do and showed the world that, you know, if you believe in something and you're willing to work hard, you can accomplish it.

And our team was that.

Herb Brooks, our coach, used to call us a lunch pail hard hat group of guys.

Because that's what we were.

If you follow the backgrounds of my teammates, we all came from working-class families, and we're all taught about the important values in life, and not just values in the sport of ice hockey.

There were no all-star teams.

There were no travel teams.

Today, it's crazy today.

The cost, you know, these kids, they were on these select teams, these travel teams, and mom and dad are paying thousands of dollars chasing something that might not be there.

But the problem now is if you're not on one of these teams, they think you get no chance of being seen.

In my day, you know, you were seen because coaches went to your high school games.