Craig Patrick

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 Craig Patrick was born in Detroit Michigan in 1946. He played professional hockey for 8 years, but one the biggest achievements in his career was that he was the assistant coach for the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. He helped Herb and the team to the Miracle on ice where they beat the unbeatable Soviet hockey team in route to a gold medal in the 1980 Olympics. Craig was the bridge between the players and Herb. He dealt with all of the player’s problems and helped them through the tough training and learning regiments of Herb. After the Olympics he got a job offer from the New York Rangers to become the Director of Operations for the team and in 1981 he became the youngest GM in history and his first order of business was to hire Herb for the head coaching job. Craig went on later to be a GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but if not for Herb Brooks and being a part of what they created with the 1980 Olympic team he probably would have never got the job with the Rangers and subsequently the one with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The bond created between the two on the Olympic team lasted for a life team as seen by the immediate hiring of Herb as the head coach of the Rangers.

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