Miracle on Ice Fantasy campers celebrate the first goal of the bronze medal game in Lake Placid this spring. (Enterprise photo — Parker O’Brien)

LAKE PLACID — The 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. men’s hockey team is one step closer to another, even rarer, gold medal. “The Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act” passed the Senate on Tuesday. It will be sent back to the House of Representatives with a small amendment before being sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law.

The legislation awards the team with three gold medals, one of which will be displayed at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. The other two will go to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Minnesota.

“Lake Placid is proud to be home to the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team’s Miracle on Ice victory,” said Ashley Walden, CEO of the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, in statement. “The Congressional Gold Medal legislation has passed both the House and Senate thanks to the bipartisan support of its sponsors, including the strong advocacy by Senator (Chuck) Schumer. Should it be signed into law, one of the medals could be displayed at the Lake Placid Olympic Museum in the iconic Olympic Center, connecting visitors with this historic legacy.”

The Congressional Gold Medal is the nation’s oldest award for civilians, with the first medal awarded to George Washington. They are given to a range of individuals, from soldiers and politicians to inventors and celebrities.

In 2024, medals were awarded to the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War; tennis player Billie Jean King; the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust, Shirley Chrisholm, the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, the Army Signal Corps “Hello Girls” who served during World War II and Navy officer Everett Alvarez Jr., who endured one of the longest periods as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.

To date, only 190 medals have been issued.

In the Senate, the bill was introduced by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota). Schumer was among the nine original co-sponsors of the bill, later joined by Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand. Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey, thanked the co-sponsors in a statement.

“What an amazing day,” he said. “We’re thankful to Senators Cramer and Schumer for their leadership in getting the bill passed in the upper chamber and our gratitude goes out to all the members in Congress who supported this legislation. Through its historical run to the gold medal, the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team helped provide our country with the inspiration it truly needed at a difficult time in our nation’s history.”

The bill passed the House in April. North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik is among the bill’s 299 co-sponsors. It was introduced in the House in October 2024 by Republican Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber, a former semi-professional player.

“As we work to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ‘Miracle on Ice’ this legislation honors our Olympic victors for their legendary achievement,” Stefanik said when the bill was introduced.

The 1980 team roster includes goalies Jim Craig and Steve Janaszak; defensemen Bill Baker, Dave Christian, Ken Morrow, Jack O’Callahan, Mike Ramsey and Bob Suter; and forwards Neal Broten, Steve Christoff, Mike Eruzione, John Harrington, Mark Johnson, Rob McClanahan, Mark Pavelich, Buzz Schneider, Dave Silk, Eric Strobel, Phil Verchota and Mark Wells.