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Factual error: The time clock digits on the scoreboard were not made up of individual round lights, as shown in the movie. They were made of illuminated bars, similar to the LED displays on alarm clocks.

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Factual error: The Soviet Union had 9 shots on goal in the third period vs. team USA. In the movie's third period, the Soviets had 19 shots on goal.

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Trivia: If the US team would have only tied Finland in its gold-medal-winning game, it would have needed the Soviet victory over Sweden (later that same day) to still clinch the gold. When announcing the US-Finland game and explaining this scenario, Al Michaels called it "the ultimate irony," since the Americans would then be cheering the Soviets on to victory.

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Question: Where could one obtain recordings of USA's 1980 Olympic hockey games in their entirety?

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Trivia: "Pong" games have four modes of play: Practice, Squash, Tennis, and Hockey. The opening sequence contained a brief segment of a TV ad for Pong. Anyone want to guess which of the four was being demonstrated?

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Factual error: Immediately after the victory against the Soviets, coach Herb Brooks did indeed leave the bench and go back through the tunnel. However, it wasn't to find a secluded place to rejoice. He simply had to go to the restroom.

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Factual error: Contrary to what the movie shows, goaltender Jim Craig actually did take the psychology test - the next day after he told the coach why he thought he wasn't necessary.

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Other mistake: What are the odds that a small arena in Norway would use the exact same scoreboard as the arena in Lake Placid?

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Factual error: Rob McClanahan never actually cheap-shotted Jack O'Callahan to cost his team the 1976 NCAA championship, as described in the movie. McClanahan was a senior in high school at the time. Furthermore, although O'Callahan did have some hatred toward McClanahan, they never had a fight at any of the practices of the 1980 Olympic team.

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Other mistake: Just before the second period against the USSR, we see a couple of shots of the benched Soviet starting goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. His hair is dry and combed, and there is no sign of perspiration, despite having just played the whole first period. After the game is over, we see a shot of the Soviet players watching the Americans celebrate. This time Tretiak's hair is wet and his face is sweaty. Shouldn't it be the other way around (i.e., hair is wet after playing one period, then dry after sitting on the bench for two periods)?

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Factual error: In the movie, the players on the bench rushed onto the ice to celebrate the victory about 4-5 seconds after the final horn sounded. In the actual game, everyone had left the bench with 1-1.5 seconds still left to play in the game.

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Continuity mistake: Herb's wife brings him a cup of hot chocolate at the outdoor skating rink. When she first gets there, both cups are steaming heavily. Just seconds later, neither cup shows even the slightest amount of steam coming out.

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Trivia: The 3,000 extras used to sit in the stands and act as crowd noise did an excellent job of chanting "USA! USA!", especially since they were all Canadians.

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Question: Three guys made up the offensive line that was affectionately nicknamed the "Coneheads" after the classic Saturday Night Live skits from the late 70s. What specifically caused them to earn this nickname? What's the connection between those three guys and the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live? The assistant coach starts to give an explanation, but doesn't elaborate enough to offer a clear answer.

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Trivia: If you listen very carefully to the part where Al MIchaels says, "Do you believe in miracles? YES...", you'll notice that it's from the original broadcast of the game in 1980. All other play-by-play was re-done by Michaels as the movie was produced. The reason they used the original 1980 broadcast for just that specific moment is that Michaels had a difficult time recreating the emotion and excitement he felt when shouting it as it really happened.

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Question: I'm curious to know how people in Russia, the Ukraine, and other parts of the former Soviet Union feel about this movie. Do they detest it, love it, like it... do they think any part of it is an exaggeration? Where could I go to see their opinions on Miracle?

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Trivia: At the very end of the movie, while the narrator is talking about the events that followed the victory over the Soviet Union, the captain of the US team is shown standing on the top platform on the ice during the medal ceremony. Suddenly he motions to his teammates to come up and join him on the platform, and they all crowd together and are just barely able to fit. In light of this emotional moment for team USA, it was decided that at all Olympic Hockey medal ceremonies going forward, instead of having platforms big enough for just the captain, they would have platforms long enough so that the whole team can stand on each one. It has been this way ever since.

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Factual error: In the actual Olympic games, the ice looked nowhere near as immaculate as it did in the movie. The movie's ice is pure white, with vibrantly-colored blue lines, red lines, etc. Anyone who has seen the actual footage of the game knows that the ice surface is blotchy, very much like a pond.

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