Legendary 1980 U.S. ice hockey gold medalist Mike Eruzione has blasted a current Olympics skier for belittling his homeland – the U.S.
Eruzione, who was educated and played high school hockey in South Berwick, Maine, is the most famous and outspoken ex-Olympic star to criticize skier Hunter Hess.
As the 2026 Olympics opened Friday in Milan, Hess told reporters he feels “mixed emotions over what’s happening in the U.S, right now.”
“There’s a lot going on I’m not the biggest fan of,” Hess added. “Just because I’m wearing the American flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
The freestyle-ski competitor’s comments angered Eruzione, who took them to be anti-American.
“Hunter Hess, U.S. snowboarder, saying he doesn’t represent his country but represents his family and friends,” Eruzione posted on social media. “Then don’t put on the USA uniform.”
Eruzione, a captain on the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” gold medal team, scored the game-winning goal against the Soviet Union in the medal round.
He has previously shown support for Donald Trump, but in responding to Hess, he didn’t mention the president.
Eruzione said that Hess “shouldn’t wear a uniform representing the U.S. if he’d prefer to represent friends and family instead.”
The hockey gold winner attended Berwick Academy before going on to fame as winner of arguably the most publicized medal winner in Olympic history.
Eruzione grew up in Winthrop, Massachusetts, where he captained the varsity hockey team.
He then went to the South Berwick school to fine-tune his hockey skills in a New England prep environment.
After leaving Berwick, Eruzione attended Boston University, playing hockey, averaging more than 20 goals a season.
He later captained the 1980 Olympic hockey squad, scoring the winning goal against the Soviets.
