Mike Eruzione

Captain of the US Olympic Hockey Team that beat the odds to win the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, Eruzione shares how to overcome any obstacle and become a champion.

Travels From:  Massachusetts

SPEECH TOPICS

Teamwork: How to Surmount Obstacles & Win

ABOUT Mike Eruzione

Through both high school and college, Mike Eruzione was a well-known local sports talent who excelled in baseball, football and hockey. But it was his role as Captain of the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team that earned him national recognition.

For Eruzione, the highlight of the Olympic Games at Lake Placid, New York, came when he scored the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union. That victory against the Soviets advanced the US Hockey Team to the Gold Medal Game, where they beat Finland and captured the gold.

The 1980 Olympic Team received many accolades after winning the gold medal, including induction to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. On December 2, 1999, the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team was given the ultimate compliment when Sports Illustrated voted their moment "The #1 Sports Moment of the Century." On February 8, 2002 Eruzione and his teammates had the honor of lighting the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A native of Massachusetts, Eruzione attended Boston University, where he captained the hockey team his senior year and finished his college career as the third leading scorer in BU history. During his years at BU, his team won four Eastern Collegiate Championships. Eruzione was regarded as the Best Defensive Forward in the Hockey East Conference and eventually was inducted into the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Eruzione played on two US National Teams and played two years with the Toledo Goaldiggers of the International Hockey League. The IHL rewarded him with the McKenzie Award, presented annually to the most outstanding American-born player in the IHL. The following year, Eruzione was chosen to join the 1980 Olympic Team and was further honored when his Olympic teammates elected him Captain.

After the victory in Lake Placid, Eruzione spent several years in New York and New Jersey as a sports commentator for Madison Square Garden. In 1984, he joined ABC and did broadcasting for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. In 1992, he was a broadcaster for CBS in Albertville, France, and in Lillehammer, Norway, during the 1994 Olympic Games.

He is actively involved in fundraising events for the Olympic Committee as well as several charitable and youth organizations. In the Boston area, he has sought to make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer through his support of The Jimmy Fund. Through his foundation, Winthrop Charities, he has worked to help kids and families in his hometown of Winthrop, Massachusetts. And through his involvement with The Genesis Fund and the National Birth Defects Center, Eruzione has helped generate funding for specialized medical care for kids with birth defects and genetic disorders. In December 2001, he appeared on television's "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire," where he won over $100,000 for local charities. For efforts such as these, Eruzione received the 2004 Children's Miracle Achievement Award at the fourth annual Children's Miracle Network Miracle Awards.

C Currently the Director of Development for Athletics at Boston University, Eruzione began commentating for CSTV in September 2003. On October 14, 2003, the World Hockey Association appointed him to their Board of Governors as Co-Chairman & Senior Advisor. He also travels throughout the country as a public speaker.