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For the first time in 12 years, Olympic hockey will feature the best of the best.
National Hockey League players were first allowed to play in the Winter Olympics in 1998, but that went on hiatus after the 2014 Games.
Before NHL players played, United States teams were mostly filled with college stars and amateurs, while they faced professionals from other countries. That’s precisely why “Miracle on Ice” is called exactly that: with a little help from Al Michaels, of course.
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Jim Craig celebrates Team USA’s victory over the USSR on February 22, 1980. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
In 2018 and 2022, the NHL again banned current players from competing, but the league changed course for next month’s competition.
Jim Craig, the goalkeeper of the 1980 U.S. team, is all for bringing in the professionals.
“As long as the playing field is equal, why not have the best athletes in the world competing against each other? You have the best playing for each other,” Craig told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview.
However, since each athlete has the separate responsibility of building their own brand, Craig wants each player this year to come in with the same mindset that he and his teammates had.
Players and fans listen to the US national anthem before the 4 Nations hockey game between Canada and the United States in Montreal on February 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)
1980 MEMBERS OF THE US HOCKEY TEAM ‘RUN BACK THE MIRACLE’ AT THE LAKE PLACID REUNION
“I just hope they have the same commitment that the fans had, right? That the most important thing is not their brand or where they play. It’s about representing their country, and not themselves,” Craig said. “That’s what I’m really proud of our teammates and that we were able to do. It wasn’t about who was going to get the best contract, where are you going to go, how much money are you going to make. It was about what was really important, and that’s representing your country.”
For Craig, the 4 Nations showdown proved it.
“You can be politically correct all you want, but you can see how apolitically correct those teams were,” Craig said with a laugh. “Canada wanted to win and the United States wanted to win, and you can even see the way Canada chose their team. [this year]. I mean, your team now isn’t just made up of the best athletes. It’s an ingredient of what it will take to beat the United States.
“They are tougher, there are players who, like Herb [Brooks] He said: “I’m not looking for the best players, I’m looking for the right players.” I really think now when they go to the Olympics, it’s not about who the top scorer is. “They’re really looking for something to help them win, and that’s something Herb did a long time ago.”
Matt Boldy #12 of Team USA and Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada shake hands after the 4 Nations Head to Head Championship game at TD Garden on February 20, 2025 in Boston. (Chase Agnello-Dean/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)
Men’s hockey will begin on February 12 and the gold medal game will take place 10 days later, 46 years to the day the Americans defeated the Soviets.
