Eruzione 'Miracle' jersey auction to beat $1m estimate?

 

The jersey Mike Eruzione was wearing to score the USA's winning goal against the Soviet Union in the Miracle on Ice is coming to auction.

The No. 21 white jersey worn by America's captain that day in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid has been given a $1m estimate by Heritage Auctions ahead of the February 23 New York Sports Platinum Night Auction.

However, such is the fabled nature of the triumph, which saw a team of college players and journeymen defeat the might of the Big Red Machine at the height of the Cold War, we believe the final price could be much higher.

The current auction record for an item of hockey memorabilia stands at the $1.3m achieved by the jersey worn by Paul Henderson when he scored the winning goal for Canada against the Soviets in 1972's Summit Series.

Eruzione is also auctioning the stick he used to score America's fourth and winning goal that day, valued at $50,000, as well as the $200,000-estimated blue jersey he wore when the US secured the Olympic gold medal against Finland two days later.

"It's one of those things that, for every American that saw it, they remember where they were and what they were doing when the final seconds ticked down," said Chris Ivy, Heritage's director of sports auctions.

Eruzione Miracle on Ice auction
Pandemonium ensues at the final buzzer

Star forward Steve Christoff's gold medal is also auctioning at the event, with a $400,000 valuation. Teammate Mark Wells' gold medal realised $310,700 at a US auction in 2010, far above its $100,000 estimate.

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