Olympic star Hunter Hess faces wrath of ‘Miracle on Ice’ star
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American Olympic gold medalist Mike Eruzione, who played a key role in the team’s “Miracle on Ice” moment in 1980, blasted Team USA skier Hunter Hess on Saturday.
Eruzione responded to Hess’ controversial remarks about representing the United States on the world stage at this year’s Olympic Games. Hess and teammate Chris Lillis expressed concerns about wearing the Stars and Stripes amid controversy over the Trump administration’s use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the country.
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American hockey player Mike Eruzione, Team USA No. 21, shakes hands with the Russian team during the 1980 exhibition game against the Soviet Union at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, on February 9, 1980. (Getty Images Studios/Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images)
“Hunter Hess US snowboarder says he represents family and friends, not his country,” Eruzione wrote to X. “Then don’t wear the USA jersey, maybe only for family and friends. Some athletes don’t understand that.”
Eruzione later deleted the post.
Lillis and Hess’s statements caused great reaction on social media.
Lillis said she would “never” want to represent another country at the Games but was “heartbroken” by the administration’s actions.
“I love the USA. I would never want to represent a different country at the Olympics. However, often athletes are afraid to talk about their political views and how we feel.
USA Team forward Auston Matthews (34) and former hockey player Mike Eruzione with former hockey player Wayne Gretzky and Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) during the 4-Nation Challenge ice hockey championship game at TD Garden on February 20, 2025. (Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)
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“I’m heartbroken about what’s going on in the United States. I’m pretty sure you’re referring to ICE and some of the protests and things like that,” he continued. “As a country, I think we need to focus on respecting everyone’s rights and treating our citizens with the same love and respect as everyone else. I hope that when people look at the athletes competing in the Olympics, they understand that this is the America we are trying to represent.”
Hess echoed the same sentiment, but went further to say he had “mixed feelings” about representing the United States at these Games.
“I think representing the United States right now brings up mixed emotions. It’s a little tough. There’s a lot of things going on that I’m obviously not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t either.”
“I think for me, it’s more of representing my friends and family back home, the people who represented it before me, everything that I believe is good about the United States. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the United States.”
Hunter Hess reacts during the men’s halfpipe ski final at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado. This event took place on January 9, 2026. (Dustin Satloff/USA Ski and Snowboard/Getty Images)
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“I want to do this for my friends, my family, and the people who supported me coming here.”
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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