1980 'Miracle' Goalie: Team USA Has That Same Edge

The man who made impossible saves against the Soviet Union 46 years ago believes he's watching history repeat itself in the best possible way.

Jim Craig, goalkeeper for the legendary 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team, publicly praised this year's U.S. Olympic men's hockey squad after their overtime quarterfinal win over Sweden. "You can feel it. The preparation. The poise. The response when it matters most," Craig wrote on Instagram as the team prepared for Sunday's gold medal game against Canada.

The timing carries extra meaning. The championship game falls exactly 46 years after Craig and his teammates pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history, defeating the heavily favored Soviet Union in Lake Placid.

Craig's endorsement means something special because he wasn't sure modern Olympic teams could match the commitment of the 1980 amateurs. Earlier this year, he told Fox News Digital he hoped today's NHL players would prioritize country over personal brand.

This team proved him wrong in the best way. "Great teams don't chase history, they create it," Craig wrote. "This group has that same edge. Different names on the back. Same name on the front."

The 1980 team didn't worry about contracts or endorsements. They focused on what mattered: representing their country. Craig wondered if professional athletes could set aside individual glory the same way.

Why This Inspires

What Craig recognized goes beyond hockey skill. He saw teammates celebrating each other's success, players sacrificing stats for wins, and a group united by something bigger than themselves. That's the ingredient his coach Herb Brooks always said mattered most: not the best players, but the right players.

The 4 Nations Face-Off last year gave Craig his first hint that modern teams could recapture that magic. He loved seeing how fiercely Team USA and Canada competed, how seriously they took representing their countries.

Now, watching this Olympic squad battle toward gold, Craig sees the complete picture. Canada built their roster the same way Brooks did in 1980, choosing toughness and chemistry over pure scoring talent.

Team USA carries 46 years of history on their jerseys Sunday morning. They carry the belief that representing your country means everything, that teamwork beats talent, and that the impossible becomes possible when the right people come together.

One more game to prove Craig right.