Steve Janaszak
Encyclopedia
Steven James Janaszak (born January 7, 1957 in Saint Paul, Minnesota
) is a retired American
ice hockey
goaltender
who played three games in the NHL
with the Minnesota North Stars
and Colorado Rockies
between 1980 and 1982.
where he was a star goaltender for the Minnesota Gophers. He was voted most valuable player in the 1979 national championship tournament as the Gophers won the NCAA title. Steve Janaszak is best known for being the back-up goalie to Jim Craig on the Miracle on Ice
1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal
. Steve was the only member of the team to not appear in any of the games at the Olympics.
. Unfortunately, the North Stars already had two quality goalkeepers in Gilles Meloche
and Don Beaupre
and there was no room for Janaszak. After spending the next season in the minor leagues, Janaszak returned to the NHL with the Colorado Rockies who signed him as a free agent in 1982. He also played three games for Team USA as Glenn Resch's backup at the 1982 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Helsinki before retiring from the game after the 1982–83 season.
TV movie about the gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team called Miracle on Ice, Janaszak does not appear as a character, but rather in archival footage of the gold medal ceremony.
He is played by Sam Skoryna in the 2004
Disney film Miracle
.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who played three 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...
with the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
and Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
between 1980 and 1982.
Amateur career
Janaszak attended 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...
where he was a star goaltender for the Minnesota Gophers. He was voted most valuable player in the 1979 national championship tournament as the Gophers won the NCAA title. Steve Janaszak is best known for being the back-up goalie to Jim Craig on 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...
1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won 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...
. Steve was the only member of the team to not appear in any of the games at the Olympics.
Professional career
Janaszak signed a free agent contract with the North Stars after the Olympics and appeared in one regular season game that season—a solid 2–2 draw against 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:...
. Unfortunately, the North Stars already had two quality goalkeepers in Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins...
and Don Beaupre
Don Beaupre
Donald William Beaupre is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Beaupre in his 17 seasons in the NHL played for four teams: the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:Beaupre emerged as a goaltender in the OHA for...
and there was no room for Janaszak. After spending the next season in the minor leagues, Janaszak returned to the NHL with the Colorado Rockies who signed him as a free agent in 1982. He also played three games for Team USA as Glenn Resch's backup at the 1982 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Helsinki before retiring from the game after the 1982–83 season.
In popular culture
In the 19811981 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 about the gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team called Miracle on Ice, Janaszak does not appear as a character, but rather in archival footage of the gold medal ceremony.
He is played by Sam Skoryna in the 2004
2004 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...
.
Awards and achievements
- NCAA Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team (1979)
- NCAA Hockey Championship Tournament MVP (1979)
- Ken McKenzie TrophyKen McKenzie TrophyThe Ken McKenzie Trophy is awarded annually to the Central Hockey League's leading points scorer in the regular season. The award is named for Ken McKenzie, the co-founder and longtime president and publisher of The Hockey News....
(U.S.- Born Rookie of the Year - IHL) (1981) (shared with Mike Labianca)