Mike Ramsey
Encyclopedia
Michael Allen Ramsey (born December 3, 1960 in Minneapolis
, Minnesota
) is a retired American
professional ice hockey
defenseman
who played 1070 regular season games in the NHL
for the Buffalo Sabres
, Pittsburgh Penguins
and Detroit Red Wings
between 1980 and 1997, after helping the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team win the gold medal
in the Miracle On Ice
.
in Minneapolis before entering the University of Minnesota
. He was considered the top high school defenseman in Minnesota as a senior in 1977–78. He also attended the U.S. National Junior training camp in summer of 1978 and participated in the 1979 world junior championship.
Ramsey was the youngest member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team in Lake Placid, New York
, that defeated the Soviet team and went on to win the gold medal
in a victory known as the Miracle On Ice
.
in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft
, Ramsey would go on to play in the National Hockey League
immediately after the Olympics. He had one of the most successful NHL careers of the 1980 U.S. Olympians. Primarily known as an offensive defenseman as an amateur, he successfully adapted to the bigger and tougher NHL by becoming a "stay at home" defensive specialist for the Sabres. Highlights of his career with the Sabres include playing in the NHL All-Star Game four times (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986) as well as being a member of the NHL All-Star team that played the Soviet national hockey team in Rendez-Vous '87
. Ramsey also served as the Sabres team captain during his 14 seasons with club. He continued to play for Team USA, participating in the 1984 Canada Cup
, 1982 Ice Hockey World Championship and 1987 Canada Cup
tournaments.
Ramsey was brought to the Pittsburgh Penguins
by his old Buffalo coach Scotty Bowman
in 1992–93 to shore up the Pens' defensive corps while making a run for a third-straight Stanley Cup
victory. As the Penguins fell short of that goal, Ramsey was offloaded to the Detroit Red Wings
in 1994. He played one more complete season plus an extra two games in 1996 (in the process losing to a team having Neal Broten
, a Miracle on Ice
teammate, on its squad) before finally retiring from the game.
. He was with the Wild until June 2010.
He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
in 2001
starting in the fall of 2011. Jack will be playing U16 for the Minnetonka Skippers.
Disney film Miracle
about the Miracle on Ice
hockey team. Regarding the experience of shooting the film, Cure said "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and then they yell, 'Cut!' They got out the champagne and cigars, the crowd was cheering. Then it slowly sunk in: That was it. I was the last one off the ice, though. They had to kick me off."
Ramsey does not appear in a 1981
TV movie called Miracle on Ice, except in archival game film and footage of the gold medal ceremony.
Note: Ramsey was named Sabres captain during the 1990–91 NHL season (after Foligno was traded). He later resigned the captaincy during the 1992–93 NHL season, in favor of LaFontaine.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played 1070 regular season games in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
between 1980 and 1997, after helping the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the Miracle On Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
.
Amateur
Mike Ramsey attended Theodore Roosevelt High SchoolRoosevelt High School (Minneapolis)
Roosevelt High School is a public school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is part of the Minneapolis Public Schools. The school is named after US President Theodore Roosevelt...
in Minneapolis before entering the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He was considered the top high school defenseman in Minnesota as a senior in 1977–78. He also attended the U.S. National Junior training camp in summer of 1978 and participated in the 1979 world junior championship.
Ramsey was the youngest member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team in Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, that defeated the Soviet team and went on to win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in a victory known as the Miracle On Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
.
Professional
Drafted 11th overall by the Buffalo SabresBuffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft
1979 NHL Entry Draft
The 1979 NHL Entry Draft took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1978–79 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those...
, Ramsey would go on to play in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
immediately after the Olympics. He had one of the most successful NHL careers of the 1980 U.S. Olympians. Primarily known as an offensive defenseman as an amateur, he successfully adapted to the bigger and tougher NHL by becoming a "stay at home" defensive specialist for the Sabres. Highlights of his career with the Sabres include playing in the NHL All-Star Game four times (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986) as well as being a member of the NHL All-Star team that played the Soviet national hockey team in Rendez-Vous '87
Rendez-vous '87
Rendez-vous '87 was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League, held in Quebec City. It replaced the NHL's All-Star festivities for the 1986–87 NHL season...
. Ramsey also served as the Sabres team captain during his 14 seasons with club. He continued to play for Team USA, participating in the 1984 Canada Cup
1984 Canada Cup
The 1984 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning two games to nil...
, 1982 Ice Hockey World Championship and 1987 Canada Cup
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
tournaments.
Ramsey was brought to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
by his old Buffalo coach Scotty Bowman
Scotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
in 1992–93 to shore up the Pens' defensive corps while making a run for a third-straight Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
victory. As the Penguins fell short of that goal, Ramsey was offloaded to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in 1994. He played one more complete season plus an extra two games in 1996 (in the process losing to a team having Neal Broten
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
, a Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
teammate, on its squad) before finally retiring from the game.
Post-playing career
Ramsey returned to Minnesota after finishing his NHL career where he ran a sporting goods store named "Gold Medal Sports" and played senior league hockey. He returned to the NHL in 1997 to serve as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres and in 2000, he took a similar position with the Minnesota WildMinnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. He was with the Wild until June 2010.
He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 2001
Family
Ramsey has three children: Jack, Hannah, and Rachel. Rachel & Jack have followed in the footsteps of their dad by also playing hockey. Rachel was a defenseman on the Minnetonka, MN High School Girls Hockey Team and will play college hockey for the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
starting in the fall of 2011. Jack will be playing U16 for the Minnetonka Skippers.
In popular culture
Ramsey was played by Joseph Cure in the 20042004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Disney film Miracle
Miracle (film)
Miracle is a 2004 American biographical sports film about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet team in the medal round was dubbed the Miracle on Ice...
about the Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
hockey team. Regarding the experience of shooting the film, Cure said "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and then they yell, 'Cut!' They got out the champagne and cigars, the crowd was cheering. Then it slowly sunk in: That was it. I was the last one off the ice, though. They had to kick me off."
Ramsey does not appear in a 1981
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
TV movie called Miracle on Ice, except in archival game film and footage of the gold medal ceremony.
Awards and achievements
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986)
- Played in NHL Rendez-Vous '87
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 U. of Minnesota NCAA 0 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1979-80 U.S. Olympic Team Intl 63 11 24 35 63 -- -- -- -- --
1979-80 Buffalo Sabres NHL 13 1 6 7 6 13 1 2 3 12
1980-81 Buffalo Sabres NHL 72 3 14 17 56 8 0 3 3 20
1981-82 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 7 23 30 56 4 1 1 2 14
1982-83 Buffalo Sabres NHL 77 8 30 38 55 10 4 4 8 15
1983-84 Buffalo Sabres NHL 72 9 22 31 82 3 0 1 1 6
1984-85 Buffalo Sabres NHL 79 8 22 30 102 5 0 1 1 23
1985-86 Buffalo Sabres NHL 76 7 21 28 117 -- -- -- -- --
1986-87 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 8 31 39 109 -- -- -- -- --
1987-88 Buffalo Sabres NHL 63 5 16 21 77 6 0 3 3 29
1988-89 Buffalo Sabres NHL 56 2 14 16 84 5 1 0 1 11
1989-90 Buffalo Sabres NHL 73 4 21 25 47 6 0 1 1 8
1990-91 Buffalo Sabres NHL 71 6 14 20 46 5 1 0 1 12
1991-92 Buffalo Sabres NHL 66 3 14 17 67 7 0 2 2 8
1992-93 Buffalo Sabres NHL 33 2 8 10 20 -- -- -- -- --
1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 12 1 2 3 8 12 0 6 6 4
1993-94 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 65 2 2 4 22 1 0 0 0 0
1994-95 Detroit Red Wings NHL 33 1 2 3 23 15 0 1 1 4
1995-96 Detroit Red Wings NHL 47 2 4 6 35 15 0 4 4 10
1996-97 Detroit Red Wings NHL 2 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 1070 79 266 345 1012 115 8 29 37 176
See also
- List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
- Miracle on IceMiracle on IceThe "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
External links
Note: Ramsey was named Sabres captain during the 1990–91 NHL season (after Foligno was traded). He later resigned the captaincy during the 1992–93 NHL season, in favor of LaFontaine.