The goaltender who helped Team USA pull off its "Miracle on Ice" and vanquish the Soviet hockey powerhouse in the 1980 Winter Olympics is cleaning house and auctioning off his gold medal, game jerseys and other many other items.
Price for the whole kit and caboodle from 58-year-old Jim Craig: $5.7 million.
The Lelands auction, announced Wednesday, begins Saturday. The collection went on display Wednesday at the Lelands.com booth at the National Sports Collectors Convention at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago and will remain there until Sunday.
"I've decided to sell my 'Miracle on Ice' collection so my children and grandchildren will be financially secure in the future," the Boston native said in a statement issued through the auction house. "Additionally, proceeds from the sale will also benefit several charities that are close to my heart."
Two of Craig's 1980 teammates, Mark Pavelich and Mark Wells, already have sold their medals from the Lake Placid Games.
In February, the family of Herb Brooks, the Minnesota hockey icon who coached the Miracle team, put a treasure trove of Olympic items up for sale. Brooks' gold medal, however, was not included.
The Craig collection at Lelands.com includes photos of and an assessed value for each item. The sale is for the entire collection. No ordering a la carte.
Leading the way is the gold medal (valued at $1.5 million to $2 million), followed by the American flag ($1 million to $1.5 million) that was draped over Craig's shoulders as he skated around the rink searching the stands for his father following the gold medal victory over Finland.
