NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
In an interview with PK Press Club Digital earlier this year, “Miracle on Ice” goaltender Jim Craig said he hoped the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team would show “the same commitment” as his 1980 squad. Well, this team won him over.
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 they prepared for a gold medal game against Canada on Sunday.
“You can feel it. The preparation. The balance. The response when it matters most,” Craig wrote.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Jim Craig celebrates the victory of the American team against 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 proved what belief can do. This group has the same advantage. Different names on the back. Same name on the front. This crest carries history. It carries sacrifice. It carries belief.
“Congratulations on the win, @usahockey. Another one.”
When Craig competed 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 as the fans, right? It’s not about their brand or where they play. It’s about representing their country, and it’s not about themselves,” Craig told PK Press Club Digital last month.
Quinn Hughes of Team USA celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in overtime during the Men’s Quarterfinal Playoff match between the United States and Sweden on day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Grégory Shamus/Getty Images)
TEAM USA TO FIGHT CANADA FOR OLYMPIC GOLD AFTER DOMINANT PERFORMANCE AGAINST SLOVAKIA
“That’s what I’m really proud of is what our teammates were able to do. It wasn’t about who gets the best contract, where are you going, how much money are you going to make? It was about what was really important, and that is representing your country.”
For Craig, last year’s 4 Nations showdown proved it, but clearly for Craig, this team confirmed it.
“You can be politically correct all you want, but you can see how apolitically correct these 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, their team isn’t just made up of the greatest athletes anymore. This is one of the elements it will take to beat the United States.
“They are tougher, there are players who, like Herb [Brooks] said: “I’m not looking for the best players, I’m looking for the good players.” I really think now when they go to the Olympics, it’s not about who’s the top scorer. They’re really looking for something that will help them win, and that’s something Herb did a long time ago.”
Tage Thompson of the United States, second from right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during a men’s ice hockey preliminary match 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 “Miracle on Ice.”
