The Olympic gold medal won by Steve Christoff as part of the United States' "Miracle on Ice" team at Lake Placid has been up for auction for the second time in three years ©SCP Auctions

An Olympic gold medal won by a member of the legendary "Miracle on Ice" United States team at Lake Placid 1980 is set to go up for auction next month and is expected to fetch more than $350,000 (£284,000/€323,000).

The medal won by Steve Christoff is being presented by SCP Auctions in its "February Finest Auction" sale which is due to open next Sunday (February 4).

It is the second time in three years that Christoff’s gold medal has gone under the hammer.

In 2020, it sold $319,800 (£260,000/€295,000) in a sale organised by Goldin Auctions.

Christoff's gold medal had also gone up for auction in 2017 but on that occasion failed to reach the reserve price of $250,000 (£203,000/€231,000).

Christoff has not owned the gold medal for several years and, just as the last occasion it was sold, will not benefit personally from this latest event.  

Steve Christoff celebrates during the United States' 4-2 victory over Finland at Lake Placid 1980, the match which clinched the team the Olympic gold medal ©Getty Images
Steve Christoff celebrates during the United States' 4-2 victory over Finland at Lake Placid 1980, the match which clinched the team the Olympic gold medal ©Getty Images

Other gold medals from the "Miracle on Ice" have previously been sold by Heritage Auctions.

In 2010, Mark Wells’ medal fetched $310,700 (£252,300/€287,000) and four years later Mark Pavelich's made $262,900 (£213,500/€242,875).

The victory has entered US sports legend and Disney made a film in 2004 called Miracle, in which Christoff was played by Scott Johnson.  

The Soviet Union had won gold in five of the previous six Olympics.

A few days before the start of the Olympics in Lake Placid, they had thrashed a US team made up of college players 10-3 in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

But the Americans were a team inspired at Lake Placid 1980.

After drawing with Sweden in the opening match, they won four consecutive matches before stunning the Russians by the score of 4-3.

The US then clinched the gold medal by beating Finland 4-2 in the final match.

Going into the Olympics, Christoff was viewed as one of the best players on the US team and lived up to the hype as the squad’s leading scorer during the qualifiers.

He was a massive part of the team’s victory in the gold medal game as well, scoring one goal and assisting on another.

The United States' victory at Lake Placid 1980 has entered American sports folklore and was even made into a Disney movie called
The United States' victory at Lake Placid 1980 has entered American sports folklore and was even made into a Disney movie called "Miracle" ©Getty Images

"Steve Christoff was one of the leaders of our team," said US goaltender Jim Craig.

"[He] also had an excellent professional career.

"And [he] liked the big games.

"In fact, I believe the gold medal game versus Finland was his best of the tournament when he scored the game-tying goal and assisted on the final goal."

After Lake Placid 1980, Christoff joined the National Hockey League's Minnesota North Stars. 

But he retired in 1984 and later became an airline pilot.

More details about the auction can by found by clicking here.