Jim Craig Auctions Off Mask Worn During Miracle on Ice Victory

Jim Craig, the United States goalie during the famed Miracle on Ice victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics, auctioned off the mask he wore during that game for more than $137,000.

Sean Leahy of Yahoo Sports reported Saturday that the piece of hockey history fetched $137,849.16 at Lelands auction house. The report noted Craig also put his gold medal up for grabs, but it didn't meet the reserve price after a high bid of more than $611,000.

The 59-year-old former netminder put a total of 17 items up for auction in May. Besides the gold medal, memorabilia that didn't reach reserve prices were the jerseys he wore against the Soviet Union and Finland as well as "the American flag that was draped around his shoulders following the team's final game of the tournament," according to Yahoo Sports.

In May, Ari Gilberg of the New York Daily News passed along Craig's comments about his collection:

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I don't really feel as though they were just mine. I think I was a representative of something that was really special. And the auction was a way to get it out there to people who could really enjoy these things as I move to different chapters of my life. This was an awesome opportunity and chapter of my life, but I have moved on. ...

When you really get older—we lost [U.S. teammate] Bobby Suter to death—you start to really plan your financial future and how it's going to go. It became burdensome. It became a hard decision to make.

"

Though the Massachusetts native who spent parts of three seasons in the NHL may have moved on, the Miracle on Ice will never be forgotten.

The American team, which featured mostly unheralded amateur and collegiate players, stunned the previously dominant Soviet Union squad 4-3. As the clock wound down, announcer Al Michaels exclaimed, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" Team USA clinched the gold medal with a victory over Finland two days later.

It's a story that's been told many different ways. The film Miracle was released in 2004, with Kurt Russell starring as head coach Herb Brooks. In 2015, ESPN released a 30 for 30 special, "Of Miracles and Men," providing the Soviet perspective on the game.