'Miracle on Ice' legend praises USA Olympic team for showing 'same edge' as 1980 squad: 'You can feel it'

"Great teams don't chase history - they create it. The 1980 team proved what belief can do. This group has that same edge. Different names on the back. Same name on the front. That crest carries history. It carries sacrifice. It carries belief.

"Congratulations on the win, @usahockey. One more."

When Craig played in the Olympics, NHL players were not allowed to participate. Craig was all for having the "best athletes in the world" compete, but on one condition.

"That's what I'm really proud of our teammates that we were able to do. It wasn't about who's going to get the best contract, where are you going, how much money are you going to make? It was about what was really important, and that's representing your country."

For Craig, last year's 4 Nations Face-Off proved as such, but clearly for Craig, this team has confirmed it.

"You can be politically correct all you want, but you can see how unpolitically correct those teams were," Craig said about the 4 Nations squads. with a laugh. "Canada wanted to win, and the USA wanted to win, and you can even see the way that Canada has picked their team [this year]. I mean, their team now isn't just the greatest athletes. It's an ingredient of things that it's going to take to beat the United States.

"They're tougher, there's players that, like Herb [Brooks] said, 'I'm not looking for the best players, I'm looking for the right players.' I really think now when they go into the Olympic Games, it isn't who the highest scorer is. They're really looking for something that's going to be helping them win, and that's something Herb did a long time ago."

The puck will drop for gold at 8:10 a.m ET on Sunday - the 46th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice."