Since the 1980s, there have been many sports moments that have captivated American audiences, but the Miracle on Ice, which saw the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team made up almost entirely of amateur and college players, defeating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, has transcended time. Naturally, there have been many documentaries, and the 2004 feature film Miracle, portraying the historical upset. With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games quickly approaching, the Netflix documentary Miracle: The Boys of '80 focuses on connecting with the members of the ‘80s team to recount their monumental victory.

In an interview with TV Squad, one of the directors of Miracle: The Boys of '80, Max Gershberg, explains how having access to unseen footage enabled them to present a fresh perspective on a well-known story in sports.

“We were lucky enough to make this in conjunction with the Olympic channel, the IOC,” said Gershberg. “And they allowed us to work with this great treasure trove of never-before-seen footage, this really gritty, beautiful 16-millimeter film of the Lake Placid Games and the hockey tournament. And it allowed us, I think, to animate this iconic event in a new way. The vantage point of the events, the aesthetic of Lake Placid, it's unlike anything that's been out there. So, visually, I think people who watch the documentary will get to see the game itself and the setting in a new way.”

After Sports Illustrated named Team USA’s victory over the Soviet Union the top sports moment of the 20th century, members of the team have repeatedly revisited the historic upset from fans and the media. Co-directors Jake Rogal and Max Gershberg sought fresh reactions from the players.

“We wanted to kind of spark something new in them,” said Gershberg. “We wanted to surprise them. So, we worked very hard to find pieces of old footage that they haven't seen. We showed them a lot of footage. One of the thrills for us through production was watching their reaction to these little nuggets, these things that they hadn't engaged with before. We tried to frame their stories a little bit more intimately. My feeling was that people know the story of this team as a collective. They know this event, but we had an opportunity, I think, to animate some of the personal stories in a little bit more of a poignant way. And that was one of our focus points as we went along.”

Coach of the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team, Herb Brooks played on the 1964 and 1968 Olympic teams, as well as on five other U.S. National Teams, had a gritty and no-nonsense coaching style. Because Brooks passed away on August 11, 2003, production had to use audio clips of Brooks voice and interviews with his family to bring his story to life.

“Well, one of the dimensions that came to light, I think, in a special way, is the dynamics that existed between the players and the famous coach, Herb Brooks,” said Gershberg. “And obviously, Herb passed away more than 20 years ago, but we wanted in this film to bring him to life in a way to really give him presence. And so we use a lot of old audio of his voice. We interview his kids, and they have a bunch of old artifacts that really haven't been out there, notes, playbooks, interesting little keepsakes.”

Along with the action that took place on the ice, the most memorable moment of the Miracle on Ice was the Hall of Fame announcer Al Michaels shouting, “Do you believe in miracles? … Yes!” during the final seconds. Michaels had gone on to be the voice of multiple sports and currently is the play-by-play commentator for Prime Video’s coverage of the NFL. Gershberg speaks to how the Miracle on Ice remains as one of his favorite moments, despite the moments that he has witnessed.

“I think this still holds such a special place in his heart, and he's such an incredible storyteller that he remembers the vivid details still all these years later, and he recounts them in such wonderful fashion,” said Gershberg.

The Miracle on Ice remains not only a historical sports moment but also an important cultural moment in American culture as the 1980s’ Olympics took place against the backdrop of the Iranian hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Gershberg believes those who are unaware of the story or fans who vividly remember this story will enjoy seeing this story told in a new way.

“And regardless of your background or where you were in the country or whether you were a hockey fan or not, this moment really did unify the masses,” said Gershberg. “I think, in a way, that arguably no sports moment in history ever has quite like it.”

Miracle: The Boys of '80 is now available on Netflix.