The Miracle on Ice – America’s ice hockey defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics – is still considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports. After years of complete dominance by the Soviets – they had won the Gold in 5 of the past 6 Olympics – the world expected much the same in the 1980 Games. On paper, there was no reason to expect otherwise as the Soviet team consisted of tough veterans with years of international professional experience, while the Americans stuck to the original Olympic ideal by fielding a squad of amateur athletes.
After shocking victories over Sweden and Czechoslovakia, the United States advanced to the Medal Round. There, the amateur U.S. team finally faced the professional Soviets. The game was a seesaw – the first period ended in a 2-2 tie, and then the Soviets pulled ahead 3-2 in the second. It was in the third and final period that the United States shocked the world by scoring two goals while holding the Soviets scoreless, taking the game 4-3. As the crowd counted down the final seconds of the game, TV announcer Al Michaels uttered one of the most memorable phrases in broadcast history: “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” as the buzzer rang out signaling the America’s unlikely win.
What is sometimes forgotten in the Cold War victory over Russian was that USA had not won any medal with their dramatic win – the team still had to face Finland the following day. In what was again a tremendous underdog victory, the U.S. came back from a 2-1 hole to win the game and Gold Medal. On a team of unlikely heroes, the USA’s goaltender, Jim Craig, stood out for his brilliant defense. Just a year removed from Boston University, Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots fired at him by the Soviets. His determination was particularly felt when he doggedly defended his team’s precarious one-goal lead in the final moments of the game. It goes without saying that without Jim Craig, there would have been no Miracle on Ice.
These battered and scuffed pads are the very ones worn by Craig during every game of the 1980 Olympics, including the Miracle on Ice and the Gold Medal win against Finland. The 14” x 32” pads are constructed from leather and sheepskin. The surface shows heavy game use – the kind of wear and tear you want to see from the man who stopped virtually everything the Soviets fired at him. The six leather leg straps on each pad are present and remain supple. These treasures are stored in a special black and chrome travel case. The outside has been adorned with Team USA and Olympic stickers, while the inside lid has a pair of blue engraved plaques, one reading “MIRACLE ON ICE 1980 USA OLYMPIC HOCKEY CHAMPIONS” and the other “JIM CRAIG TEAM USA #30 ‘MIRACLE ON ICE.’ The museum-ready pieces of equipment come with a signed letter of provenance from the Olympic hero himself, Jim Craig.
Our consignor has generously agreed to donate a portion of his auction proceeds to the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund in response to the tragic junior hockey team bus crash that killed 16 and injured 13 others on April 6, 2018, in Saskatchewan, Canada.