Mike Eruzione Keynote Speaker

Eruzione grew up in Winthrop, Massachusetts, where he was captain of the Winthrop Senior High School hockey team. He honed his skills at Berwick Academy, before enrolling at Boston University. Called “Pete Rose on skates,” Eruzione averaged over 20 goals a season.

After graduation, Eruzione played two seasons with Team USA in the 1975 and 1976 Ice Hockey World Championships. He moved on to the International Hockey League playing another two seasons with the Toledo Goaldiggers. While with the Goaldiggers, Eruzione was named Rookie of the Year and led the team to the Turner Cup.

After making the U.S. Olympic Team, Eruzione was selected by his teammates as captain. His game-winning goal against the Soviet Union is one of the most-played highlights in American sports. It was voted the greatest highlight of all-time by ESPN viewers in 2008.

After bringing home the gold, Eruzione was one of five players not drafted by the NHL. Though he had an offer from the New York Rangers, he decided to retire stating he had already reached his pinnacle of achievement. He became a broadcaster for the Rangers and the New Jersey Devils on NHL on USA Network and The NHL on FOX. He also covered five of the past Olympic games for ABC and CBS.

Eruzione is a member of the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. First portrayed in the made-for-TV movie Miracle on Ice, the incredible story of the victory over the Soviet Union was introduced to a new generation in 2004 when Disney released Miracle.