Jim Craig (ice hockey)
| Jim Craig | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
May 31, 1957 North Easton, MA, USA |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for |
NHL Atlanta Flames Boston Bruins Minnesota North Stars |
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| National team |
 United States
|
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| NHL Draft | 72nd overall, 1977 Atlanta Flames |
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| WHA Draft | 29th overall, 1977 Cincinnati Stingers |
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| Playing career | 1979–1984 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing the United States
|
||
 |
1980 Lake Placid | Team competition |
James Downey Craig (born May 31, 1957) is a retired American ice hockey goaltender who is most notable for being part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the Olympic gold medal at the Lake Placid Winter Games. Craig had a standout Olympic tournament. In the Olympic semifinal game against the heavily favored Soviet Union, Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots on goal as the U.S. beat the Soviets, 4-3, in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Two days later, the U.S. defeated Finland, 4-2, in the Olympic final and captured Olympic gold. Craig went on to play professionally in the National Hockey League, where he started for the Atlanta Flames, Boston Bruins, and Minnesota North Stars between 1980 and 1983.
Craig attended and played hockey at Boston University, after one year at Massasoit Community College. He led BU to the NCAA Division I championship in 1978 and was an NCAA All-Star in 1979. He was inducted into the BU Hall of Fame in 1989.
He is best known as the goalie for the United States in the Miracle on Ice, when the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the favored Soviet Olympic hockey team. Craig played a key role in one of the landmark moments in United States sports history. In the game against the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics, Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots from the Soviet team led by the great Boris Mikhailov. Craig's composure was evident in the final moments of the game and allowed the underdog U.S. team to protect their one-goal lead and eventually win 4-3. The U.S. flag that Craig wore after the upset is now displayed at the Sports Museum of America in New York City. Two days later, he again would lead the way to a 4-2 victory over Finland, clinching the gold medal.
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