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In an interview with Pak Gazette Digital earlier this year, “Miracle on Ice” goaltender Jim Craig said he hoped this year’s U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team would show “the same commitment” that his 1980 team had. Well, this team has nailed it.
In an Instagram post showing the celebration of the United States’ overtime victory over Sweden in the quarterfinals, Craig praised this year’s Olympic team as it prepared for a gold medal game against Canada on Sunday.
“You can feel it. The preparation. The poise. The response when it matters most,” Craig wrote.
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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)
“Great teams don’t chase history, they create it. The 1980 team showed what faith can do. This group has the same advantage. Different names on the back. Same name on the front. That shield carries history. It carries sacrifice. It carries belief.
“Congratulations on the win, @usahockey. One more.”
When Craig played in the Olympics, NHL players were not allowed to participate. Craig was all for having the “best athletes in the world” compete, but on one condition.
“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 told Pak Gazette Digital last month.
Quinn Hughes of Team USA celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in overtime during the men’s quarterfinal playoff game between the United States and Sweden on Day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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“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, last year’s 4 Nations showdown proved it, but clearly for Craig, this team has confirmed it.
“You can be politically correct all you want, but you can see how apolitically correct those teams were,” Craig said of the 4 Nations teams. 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.”
American Tage Thompson, second right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during a men’s ice hockey preliminary round game between the United States and Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The puck will drop for gold at 8:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, the 46th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice.”
