“Lotta guys from Minnesota and Boston.” If you’re a hockey fan, you likely will recognize that quote from the movie Miracle, which chronicled the famed 1980 USA Olympic hockey team that pulled off the miracle on ice against the Russians. For non-hockey fans, in the U.S. there’s a long-time rivalry between hockey players from Minnesota and Boston which has been the catalyst for many hockey fights, rivalries, and regional banter over many decades.

Now that the 2022 Winter Olympics have started, the men’s hockey tournament will return to having primarily amateur players. As with much of the world, COVID-19 impacted the NHL season, resulting in the players not being able to participate in the Olympics. This has provided the unique opportunity for college players to represent both the USA and Canadian hockey teams.

Of those amateur players, many have ties to Michigan. Matty Beniers and Brendan Brisson, two current University of Michigan hockey players, will play on team USA. Also joining team USA are former Michigan players Steve Kampher and goalie Strass Mann. Andy Miele from Gross Pointe Woods and Pat Nagle from Bloomfield Township will also wear the red, white, and blue, while the team’s general manager, John Vanbiesbrouck, is a Detroit Native. Playing on the Women’s USA hockey team are Megan Keller from Farmington Hills and Abby Roque from Sault Ste. Marie.

So, if you turn on the Olympics and see either the men’s or women’s hockey teams playing, know the Great Lakes State is well represented. Maybe the famous Miracle quote should be updated – “Lotta guys and gals from Minnesota, Michigan, and Boston”.

Best of luck to team USA and the athletes across numerous sports from Michigan.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.