This Dude’s Ridiculous Hockey Puck Catch Earned Him Instant Olympic Glory

credit: getty images/getty images sport/Ronald Martinez/Staff
credit: getty images/getty images sport/Ronald Martinez/Staff

The United States Men's Hockey team -- much like the rest of Team USA -- has been pretty hapless at the 2018 Winter Olympics. In hockey, the American crew of non-NHL players squandered any chance at claiming a medal after losing to the Czech Republic in a penalty shootout on Tuesday. But fans thirsting for hardware have found a saving grace in an unlikely hero, namely a random dude who caught a stray hockey puck during the third period. 

He, unlike, the other large men on the ice carrying hockey sticks, exemplified grace under pressure, calmly claiming the puck as it drifted over the protective glass and into his clutches. NBC captured the moment and added a musical touch that should sound familiar if you've been keeping up with the Games: 

The man, who has not been named, wore the Team USA jersey from 1980, which was the year a ragtag American squad defeated the Soviet Union to claim a gold medal at the Lake Placid Games. It was a legendary performance, immortalized in the movie Miracle, and etched into Olympics lore from then on. Basically, it was the complete opposite of 2018, which means the magic of 1980 could not be conjured for the men in PyeongChang, save for a random guy with swift reflexes. 

While the men were abysmal, hockey fans can take solace in the USA's Women's Team, which has been kicking ass up and down the ice this Olympics. The women's squad is set to face Canada in the Gold Medal Game a little later in NBC's primetime coverage of the Games on Thursday, February 22.

Let's hope hockey puck guy shows up. 

Check back during the games for all of Thrillist’s continuing Olympics coverage. Think of us like an all-knowing friend watching along with you to answer all the important questions, like how heavy are Olympic medals. We'll explain everything from curling rules and figure skating scoring to what OAR means, why winning athletes are receiving stuffed animals and much, much more.

Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster