I 1980 hersker Den Kolde Krig stadig, mens verdens lande forbereder sig på de Olympiske Lege. Herb Brooks overtager posten som træner for det amerikanske ishockey-landshold. Sammen med sin hjælpetræner udvælger han en gruppe på tyve amatørspillere, som skal op imod det stærke og langt mere erfarne sovjetiske hold. På trods af det åbenlyse handicap bruger Brooks al sin energi på at realisere sin livslange drøm om at træne et hold til olympisk guld.

"Is this trip really necessary?" asks a road sign. "Sure, it's necessary," replies Woody Woodpecker. "I'm a necessary evil." Patriotic gestures are evidently not Woody's strong suit. When he goes to the gas station for a refill, he doesn't even know what a ration book is. The attendant thinks Woody is a wise guy and takes a large mallet and knocks him and his car into a junkyard several miles away. What luck! The old cars still have a bit of gas in them. Woody takes a rubber hose and siphons the gasoline from some of them. Unluckily, one of the cars he picks is brand new. And it's a cop car. Woody is soon at odds with a bulldog police officer.