Eric Strobel
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Gold | 1980 Lake Placid | Team |
Eric Martin Strobel (born June 5, 1958 in Rochester, Minnesota) is a retired American ice hockey forward who was a member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 gold medal winning U.S. Olympic hockey team.
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[edit] Amateur career
Strobel attended Rochester Mayo High School where he was a highly recruited high school hockey player. He earned all-conference honors at Mayo in 1973-74, 1974–75 and 1975-76 before moving on to the University of Minnesota. He was a member of the 1979 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA championship team and also played for Team USA at the 1979 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Moscow.
[edit] Professional career
Though drafted 133rd overall in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, Strobel only played half a season with the Sabres top minor league team Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. He broke his ankle during an AHL playoff game in the spring of 1980 and retired from hockey afterwards.
[edit] Post playing career
Strobel returned to Minnesota after his retirement and became a telephone sales executive in Apple Valley, Minnesota. He previously coached the Peewee A team for the Eastview Athletic Association in Apple Valley.
[edit] Personal
Eric married Kim Robinson on July 31, 1987 and has two children, Leslie (Born November 21, 1987) and Krista (Born September 19, 1988). Leslie attends Colgate University where she is on the varsity swim team. Krista attends Creighton University. Strobel's father, Art Strobel played for the New York Rangers.
Eric Strobel suffered a minor stroke on October 31, 2006 and recovered in the hospital. He is currently in physical therapy and is improving daily.
[edit] In popular culture
Strobel was not featured in a 1981 TV movie about the 1980 U.S. hockey team called Miracle on Ice, but did appear in archival footage of the gold medal ceremony.
Robbie MacGregor portrayed him in the 2004 Disney film Miracle.
