Miracle Workers Reunite

Members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, whose gold-medal triumph ranks among the most memorable moments in sports, will reunite for an exhibition game and other events related to the NHL All-Star game, which will be played Feb. 2 at Staples Center.

The Lake Placid gold medalists will play an NHL alumni team Feb. 1. They will also participate in ceremonies designed to increase interest in the Salt Lake City Winter Games, which open Feb. 8. Details of the team’s All-Star involvement will be announced today.

The Salt Lake City Games will be the first staged in the U.S. since 1980, when Coach Herb Brooks’ team of little-known college kids and minor leaguers upset the powerful Soviets in the semifinals, then rallied to defeat Finland in the gold-medal game. Their stunning success sparked a burst of patriotism that transcended hockey and sports.

The entire team has not been together since then--and it’s not likely to be fully accounted for in Los Angeles. Frank Supovitz, NHL group vice president for events and entertainment, said Tuesday that 16-19 players are expected.

“That would be the largest group that has been assembled, we think,” he said.

The NHL alumni team is expected to include former Kings Dave Taylor--now the team’s general manager--Jimmy Carson, Ron Duguay, Jari Kurri, Bernie Nicholls, Larry Playfair and Jay Wells. Marcel Dionne has been invited but has not responded, Supovitz said.

The All-Star events will begin Jan. 30 with NHL Fantasy, which offers activities and exhibits at the Convention Center. That night at Staples Center, producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s Bad Boys will face off against TV writer David E. Kelley’s Heroes in a celebrity game benefiting Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. An array of actors will also serve as trainers and assistant coaches, ranging from Jane Seymour of “Dr. Quinn” fame to WWF wrestler Chris Jericho, the son of onetime King Ted Irvine. Tickets will cost $10 and $25, the $25 tickets also including a same-day ticket to the Fantasy events.

The next day, fans will have a chance to skate with great players from the past, and the hockey clubs of UCLA and USC will play an exhibition. On Feb. 1, a “Young Stars” four-on-four game will be played, leading into the annual NHL skills contest. To strengthen the link to the Olympics, players will be introduced and will line up according to their national teams. However, the All-Star format will remain North America vs. the Rest of the World. Efforts to stage a mini-Olympic tournament failed because of opposition from the hockey federations of several countries.

Supovitz said that more than 12,000 tickets have been sold to NHL Fantasy.

“I keep hearing about L.A., ‘It’s not a hockey town. It’s not a hockey town.’ I haven’t seen any evidence that it’s not,” he said. “Sports fans and entertainment seekers in general love to have a good time and they love big events, and they love it when they can be the center of international attention.”

Supovitz also said the Los Angeles Police Department hockey team will play its New York counterpart the morning of the NHL showcase, and both teams will be guests of the league for the All-Star game.