‘Miracle on Ice’ legend Jim Craig praises this year’s USA Olympic team
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
In an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year, “Miracle on Ice” goaltender Jim Craig said he hopes this year’s United States Olympic men’s hockey team will show “the same commitment” as the 1980 squad. This team won it.
In an Instagram post celebrating the USA’s overtime victory over Sweden in the quarterfinals, Craig praised this year’s Olympic team as they prepare for the gold medal game against Canada on Sunday.
“You can feel it. The preparation. The balance. The reaction when it matters most.” Craig wrote..
CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS NEWS ON FOXNEWS.COM
Jim Craig celebrates Team USA’s victory over the USSR on February 22, 1980. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
“Great teams do not chase history, they create it. The 1980 team proved what faith can do. This group has the same superiority. Different names at the back. Same name at the front. That crest carries history. It carries sacrifice. It carries faith.
“Congrats @usahockey on the win. Another one.”
When Craig played in the Olympics, NHL players were not allowed to participate. Craig was in favor of the “best athletes in the world” competing, but on one condition.
“I hope they have the same commitment as the amateurs, right? The most important thing is not their brand or where they play. It’s about representing their country, it’s not about themselves,” Craig told Fox News Digital last month.
Quinn Hughes of Team USA celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in overtime during the Men’s Quarterfinals Playoff match between the United States and Sweden on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
TEAM USA WILL FIGHT CANADA FOR OLYMPIC GOLD AFTER DOMINANT PERFORMANCE AGAINST SLOVAKIA
“I’m really proud of how we were able to achieve this with our teammates. It wasn’t about who would get the best contract, where you would go, how much money you would make. It was about what was important and that was representing your country.”
For Craig, last year’s 4-National Challenge proved that, but for Craig, this team clearly confirmed that.
Craig said of the 4 Nations teams: “You can be as politically correct as you want, but you can see how politically correct these teams are.” with a laugh. “Canada wanted to win, the USA wanted to win, and you can even see how Canada picked their team. [this year]. I mean, their teams aren’t just made up of top athletes anymore. This is one component of what is needed to defeat the United States.
“They’re tougher, they’ve got players like Herb [Brooks] ‘I’m not looking for the best players, I’m looking for the right players,’ he said. Now I really think about who is not the top scorer when they go into the Olympic Games. “They’re really looking for something to help them win, and that’s something Herb did a long time ago.”
Tage Thompson of the United States, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during the men’s ice hockey qualifying match between the United States and Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
CLICK TO REACH THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The disc will drop for gold at 8:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, the 46th anniversary of “Miracle on Ice.”
Follow Fox News Digital Sports streaming on Xand subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter
