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Jim Craig (ice hockey)

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Jim Craig
Craig in 1981
Born (1957-05-31) May 31, 1957 (age 67)
Easton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Atlanta Flames
Boston Bruins
Minnesota North Stars
National team  United States
NHL draft 72nd overall, 1977
Atlanta Flames
WHA draft 79th overall, 1977
Cincinnati Stingers
Playing career 1980–1984
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the  United States
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid Team competition

James Downey Craig[1] (born May 31, 1957) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who is best known for being part of the U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Craig had a standout Olympic tournament, including stopping 36 of 39 shots on goal by the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 'Miracle on Ice', as the U.S. won 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, to clinch Olympic gold. Craig went on to play professionally in the National Hockey League for the Atlanta Flames, Boston Bruins, and Minnesota North Stars from 1980 to 1983. He was inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999.

Playing career

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Amateur career

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Jim Craig's equipment from the 1980 Olympics, on display at the HHOF

After starring at Oliver Ames High School in his hometown, Craig spent one year at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Massachusetts. He then transferred to Boston University, leading the Terriers to the NCAA Division I championship in 1978[2] and was an NCAA All-Star in 1979. He was inducted into the BU Hall of Fame in 1989.[3]

1980 Winter Olympics

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Craig clutching an American flag after his team won the gold medal

After Craig was selected to be the goaltender for the United States men's national ice hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics, he wanted to live with a family during national team training, and chose to live with the team's doctor, George Nagobads and his family.[4][5]

Craig played a key role in one of the landmark moments in United States sports history, 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, which was led by veterans including greats Boris Mikhailov and Vladislav Tretiak. In that game, Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots from the Soviet team. His composure was evident in the final moments of the game and allowed the unheralded U.S. team to protect their one-goal lead and win 4–3. The American flag that Craig draped over his shoulders after the upset was displayed at the Sports Museum of America in New York City.[6] Two days later, he led the U.S. to the gold medal in a 4–2 victory over Finland.[2]

Professional career

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Originally drafted by the Atlanta Flames with the 72nd pick in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft, Craig joined the Flames shortly after the Olympics and won his first game as an NHL player. However, he found it difficult to duplicate his magic in the NHL. The following season, the Boston Bruins brought him home to Massachusetts in a trade with Atlanta.[7] He served as the Bruins' backup goaltender during the 1980-81 regular season but again failed to make an impression and he did not participate in the 1981 NHL Playoffs. Craig returned to the U.S. national team for the 1981 Canada Cup but missed the tournament due to injury and the following season was spent in the minor leagues with the Erie Blades. Craig's final moment of glory was in 1983 when he again played very well for the United States in the 1983 IIHF Pool B tournament. Craig was named goaltender of the tournament and the Minnesota North Stars promptly signed him to a free agent contract.[8] He would make a final three NHL appearances for the North Stars in 1984 before retiring from hockey.[9]

Personal life

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Two years after the Lake Placid victory, he was issued a citation charging him with "driving to endanger after an accident on a rain-slicked highway that left one woman dead and another critically injured".[10] Although neither alcohol nor drugs was a factor in the accident, the charge was later changed to motor vehicle homicide.[11] He pleaded not guilty and waived his right to a jury trial, electing to go before a judge instead. He was found not guilty by a Wareham District Court judge in September 1982.[12][13]

Craig is employed as a motivational speaker, spokesperson, marketing and sales strategist. He is president of Gold Medal Strategies,[14] a Boston-area based promotions and marketing firm that also manages and represents Jim and his appearance business. For more than 30 years, Craig has provided strategic direction for employees and associates from more than 300 organizations.[15]

His daughter Taylor is married to NHL player Jayson Megna.[16]

Musician Dave Grohl has mentioned being an admirer of Craig over the years, as evidenced by the #6 entry of the "47 Things You Might Not Know About Dave Grohl" list on TeamRock.com, which stated, "Dave’s first hero was Jim Craig, the 1980 American ice hockey team goalie from Easton, Massachusetts. After the team beat Russia, he found the phone numbers of all the Jim Craigs in that area, phoned them up and congratulated them. Dave and the real Jim Craig met years later at a Winter Olympics."[17]

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In the 1981 made-for-TV movie film Miracle on Ice, Craig is portrayed by Steve Guttenberg.

In the 2004 Disney film Miracle, he is portrayed by Eddie Cahill, who considers Craig to be one of his childhood heroes.[18]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1974–75 Oliver Ames High School HS-MA 57 54 2 1 3420 118 — 2.11 — — — — — — — — —
1975–76 Massasoit Junior College NCAA-II — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1976–77 Boston University ECAC 27 25 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1977–78 Boston University ECAC 16 16 0 0 967 60 0 3.72 — 5 5 0 305 17 0 3.34 —
1978–79 Boston University ECAC 19 13 4 2 1009 60 1 3.57 — 2 1 1 120 8 0 4.00 —
1979–80 United States Intl 41 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1979–80 Atlanta Flames NHL 4 1 2 1 206 13 0 3.79 .841 — — — — — — — —
1980–81 Boston Bruins NHL 23 9 7 6 1270 78 0 3.68 .861 — — — — — — — —
1981–82 Erie Blades AHL 13 3 9 1 742 57 0 4.61 — — — — — — — — —
1982–83 United States Intl 26 — — — 1385 61 2 2.64 — — — — — — — — —
1983–84 Minnesota North Stars NHL 3 1 1 0 110 9 0 4.92 .839 — — — — — — — —
1983–84 Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL 27 — — — 1532 108 1 4.23 — 3 — — 177 12 0 4.07 —
NHL totals 30 11 10 7 1586 100 0 3.78 .857 — — — — — — — —

International

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Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA
1979 United States WC 5 2 1 2 280 10 0 2.14
1980 United States OLY 7 6 0 1 420 15 0 2.14
1983 United States WC-B — — — — — — — —
Senior totals 13 8 1 3 700 25 0 2.14

Awards and achievements

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  • ECAC First All-Star Team (1979)[19]
  • NCAA East First All-American Team (1979)[20]
  • Olympic Gold Medal Team U.S.A. (1980)
  • Ice Hockey World Championships B Pool Tournament All-Star Team (1983)
  • Inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Jim Craig". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Phillips, Bob (July 5, 2005). "Craig Was Miracle Worker in Goal". ESPN Classic. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  3. ^ Sturtevant, Ben (June 25, 1989). "Olympian Jim Craig Inducted at BU Hall for Famed Goalie". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  4. ^ Blount, Rachel (October 19, 2010). "Miracle on Ice just one part of doctor's legacy". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  5. ^ Diossi, Steven (February 1, 2018). "Jim Craig on 1980 USA Olympics team: "We believed in each other"". New England Hockey Journal. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Sports Museum of America Opens in Lower Manhattan" Archived 2012-07-11 at archive.today. (May 6, 2008). City Guide. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  7. ^ "Jim Craig's Bio". Legends of Hockey.net. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  8. ^ "Jim Craig". PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  9. ^ "Jim Craig, Hero Of Lake Placid, Is Happy Away From Hockey | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  10. ^ UPI (May 31, 1982). "Craig, U.S. Goalie, Charged in Crash". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  11. ^ Quill, Ed (June 2, 1982). "Car Homicide Charge Sought Against Craig" Archived 2014-04-19 at the Wayback Machine. The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  12. ^ Staff (September 15, 1982). "Sports People; Court Clears Craig". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  13. ^ Wallace, Carol (March 7, 1983). "Trapped in the Net of Fame". People. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  14. ^ "Speaking". Gold Medal Strategies.com. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  15. ^ "About Our Team". Gold Medal Strategies. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  16. ^ "Avs player Jayson Megna has a pretty famous father-in-law: USA hockey icon Jim Craig". 16 February 2021.
  17. ^ TeamRock (January 14, 2016). "47 Things You Might Not Know About Dave Grohl". TeamRock.com. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  18. ^ Murray, Rebecca (January 26, 2004). "Interview with Eddie Cahill and Jim Craig". About.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  19. ^ "ECAC All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  20. ^ "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  21. ^ "Hockey: 5 picked for hall". The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 23 September 1999. p. 29. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
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