Jack Hughes questions Hockey Hall of Fame's possession of puck from U.S. men's Olympic hockey golden goal
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime game-winning goal for the United States in the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, said the puck from that goal is held by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Hughes, a U.S. national team member and 2019 NHL first overall draft pick,[1] told ESPN it was "bulls---" that the Hall possesses the puck, which secured the Americans' first Olympic men's hockey gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.[2] "I'm trying to get it … Why would they have that puck?" he said.
The goal came against Canada at Milano Santa Giulia Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 22, 2026.[3] The International Ice Hockey Federation donated the puck to the Hockey Hall of Fame after the game, following its standard process for memorabilia from international competitions.
Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame, responded to ESPN: "Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack's puck to own. It's been donated to us now. For every artifact that's been donated, we have a paper trail and signed paperwork of where it's come from."
In Olympic and other IIHF events, on-ice officials typically collect significant pucks and gear for identification and donation, unlike NHL games where players often retain them. The Hall stated that such items enter its permanent collection for preservation and public display.
Hall staff were present in Milan to facilitate donations. The puck from Megan Keller's golden goal in the women's final three days earlier is also in the collection.
Hughes said he would like the puck for his father, a avid collector of his sons' memorabilia, though he does not collect many items himself. He plans to formally contact the Hall, which has returned artifacts to players in the past.
Sources
- NHL.com, "Jack Hughes - New Jersey Devils Center", accessed October 2024, https://www.nhl.com/devils/player/jack-hughes-8480020
- International Olympic Committee / Olympics.com, "Ice hockey at the Olympic Games", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/sports/ice-hockey/
- Olympics.com, "Santa Giulia Arena - Milano Cortina 2026", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/milano-cortina-2026/venues/santa-giulia-arena-milano
