Utah, This Guy Couldn’t Have Been Cast Any Better

The reason why Miracle is one of the great sports movies of all time (even though it’s a Disney) is because they used real hockey players to play the characters.

Nathan West played Rob McClanahan, West played for the Detroit Whalers in the OHL. Patrick Demsey played Mike Eruzione, he played hockey at Fitchburg State. An Italian kid, he looked just like Eruzione. Michael Mantenuto, who played hockey at the University of Maine and BU, was cast as the bombastic Jack O'Callahan because he got into a fight in rehearsals, he was perfect for the role.

They all had long hair, talked with Northeastern accents, and had missing teeth from their hockey days. The movie Miracle came out in 2004. Director Gavin O'Connor talked about casting real players who looked like the 1980 Miracle team.

If that movie came out in 2026, O'Connor would have cast Jack Hughes. He looks and talks just like all those guys in 2004 who looked and talked just like the guys from 1980. Hughes could have played Rob McClanahan. He could have played Mark Johnson. He takes a high stick to the teeth; he’s bleeding in OT as he puts the winner through the five-hole. Then he talks about how proud he is to be an American and how much he loves his country, with the Stars and Stripes draped over his shoulders. The 2026 Olympics couldn't have been cast better.

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