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Jim Craig

Jim Craig

Keynote Speaker: Gold Medal Olympian, Inspiration for Disney Film "Miracle," Entrepreneur, Sales & Marketing Executive

Jim Craig Biography

Jim Craig was born on May 31, 1957 in North Easton, Massachusetts. Craig discovered his passion for hockey at the age of seven and trained tirelessly as a goaltender, often challenging neighborhood kids to shoot-outs. Craig’s success in high school and at Boston University, where he won a Division I National Championship and was named an NCAA All-American Goalie in 1979, earned him a spot as the leading goaltender on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.

In what is voted by Sports Illustrated as greatest moment in sports history of the 21st century, Craig saved an incredible 36 out of 39 shots against his formidable Russian opponents, helping Team U.S.A. win what has become known as the “Miracle on Ice.” After a five-year professional career Craig sustained a career-ending injury while playing for the Minnesota North Stars, and he retired in 1984. Craig has since been inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, the Boston University Hall of Fame, and he is a co-recipient of both the Lester Patrick award and the Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year” award. He is also a graduate of Boston University and earned his doctorate in humane letters from Mercy College.

Following Craig’s professional hockey career, he transitioned his success into the corporate world as a motivational speaker, powerful salesman and corporate consultant. Craig has been inducted into the Sales Halls of Fame for two different companies and has been selected four times as one of the top five speakers on team building in the United States. He is currently the President and Founder of his company, Gold Medal Strategies, through which he delivers motivational keynotes and hosts immersive corporate training programs that teach participants how to think differently and believe in their possibilities. He has authored two of his own books, serves as a board member of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and has been a Spokesman for the W.L. Gore Ultimate SAAAVE Campaign since 2007. Craig has a passion for leveraging his athletic and business success to help others achieve their full potential and lives in integrity with his mission every day.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Jim Craig and other top speakers and celebrities.

Jim Craig Speaking Topics

Innovation and Strategic Change

  • Always be on the lookout and the hunt for better ways to do things
  • What tools and resources are available to help your team win?
  • How Coach Brooks, a supreme innovator and strategist, taught and mentored us to play a revolutionary type of hockey that would enable us to beat the mighty Soviet machine: a hybrid of the bruising and physical Canadian form of play and the speed, fluidity, and finesse of the Eastern European and Soviet game
  • When needed, abandoning the old, unsuccessful, yet comfortable, for the new and uncomfortable, yet what will eventually enable success

Identifying the Right People for the Right Position

  • As Coach Herb Brooks said when building the U.S. 1980 Olympic hockey team: "I'm not looking for the best players - I'm looking for the right ones."
  • Selecting the type of players so that the whole (team) is greater sum of the parts (employees, players)
  • Being on guard against prima donnas and disruptive influences
  • Finding your captain and team leader

Creating Great Groups

  • Instilling in people a sense of destiny and desire to accomplish greatness
  • Maintaining a competitive edge and a view that the team is an underappreciated underdog that will win, shock, and inspire

Self Reliance and Personal Responsibility

  • How do I strive for and achieve personal excellence?
  • How do I stay committed to my personal goals?
  • How do I condition myself to be professionally tough – better than my competitor?

Building a Winning Team and Corporate Culture

  • Recruiting and selecting the right players
  • Inspiring, guiding, and motivating team members to put "team" in front of individual interests
  • Managing and coaching team members to work efficiently and in synchronicity
  • Identifying "diamonds in the rough"

Jim Craig Videos

Al Michaels & Jim Craig Talk 'Miracle on Ice' Anniversary
Jim Craig Interview
Massachusetts native Jim Craig reflects on leading US to Olympic gold

How do I book Jim Craig to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jim Craig for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jim Craig, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jim Craig or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Jim Craig for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Jim Craig, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jim Craig are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jim Craig, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Jim Craig speak about?

Jim Craig is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Faith & Religion, Business, Inspirational, Olympic Sports, Personal Growth, Hockey, Family & Parenting, Health, Overcoming Adversity, Peak Performance, Athlete, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Sports Motivation, Success, Authors, Human Resources, Sports, Virtual Speakers, Motivational, Innovation, Leadership, Sales and Storytelling.

Where does Jim Craig travel from?

Jim Craig generally travels from Massachusetts, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Jim Craig?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jim Craig for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jim Craig for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jim Craig or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Jim Craig is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Faith & Religion, Business and Inspirational. The estimated speaking fee range to book Jim Craig for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $20,000 - $30,000. Jim Craig generally travels from Massachusetts, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Eric Boles, Joe Theismann and Rudy Ruettiger. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Jim Craig for an upcoming event.

Jim Craig Speaking Topics

  • Innovation and Strategic Change

    • Always be on the lookout and the hunt for better ways to do things
    • What tools and resources are available to help your team win?
    • How Coach Brooks, a supreme innovator and strategist, taught and mentored us to play a revolutionary type of hockey that would enable us to beat the mighty Soviet machine: a hybrid of the bruising and physical Canadian form of play and the speed, fluidity, and finesse of the Eastern European and Soviet game
    • When needed, abandoning the old, unsuccessful, yet comfortable, for the new and uncomfortable, yet what will eventually enable success

  • Identifying the Right People for the Right Position

    • As Coach Herb Brooks said when building the U.S. 1980 Olympic hockey team: "I'm not looking for the best players - I'm looking for the right ones."
    • Selecting the type of players so that the whole (team) is greater sum of the parts (employees, players)
    • Being on guard against prima donnas and disruptive influences
    • Finding your captain and team leader

  • Creating Great Groups

    • Instilling in people a sense of destiny and desire to accomplish greatness
    • Maintaining a competitive edge and a view that the team is an underappreciated underdog that will win, shock, and inspire

  • Self Reliance and Personal Responsibility

    • How do I strive for and achieve personal excellence?
    • How do I stay committed to my personal goals?
    • How do I condition myself to be professionally tough – better than my competitor?

  • Building a Winning Team and Corporate Culture

    • Recruiting and selecting the right players
    • Inspiring, guiding, and motivating team members to put "team" in front of individual interests
    • Managing and coaching team members to work efficiently and in synchronicity
    • Identifying "diamonds in the rough"

Jim Craig Videos

Al Michaels & Jim Craig Talk 'Miracle on Ice' Anniversary
Jim Craig Interview
Massachusetts native Jim Craig reflects on leading US to Olympic gold
Jim Craig - Gold Medal Strategies
Jim Craig on Winning

Jim Craig Reviews

  • Novolex - Oct 20 2022

  • Ingram Micro - Nov 13 2020

  • My experience was far superior to that of working with a similar company recently, thank you!
    Dell Technologies - Aug 14 2020

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