Jack Hughes, a 24-year-old center for the NHL's New Jersey Devils and captain of the U.S. men's hockey team, scored the overtime-winning goal against Canada in the gold medal game at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 22, 2026, at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.[1][2] The victory marked the United States' first Olympic men's ice hockey gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.[3]
Hughes expressed frustration that the puck from his goal is held by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, calling it "bulls---."[4] "I'm trying to get it. … Why would they have that puck?" he told ESPN.[4]
Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator for the Hockey Hall of Fame, responded: "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."[4]
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) donated the puck after the game, following standard protocol for international tournaments including the Olympics, where officials collect memorabilia for donation rather than awarding it to players as in NHL games.[4][5]
The Hockey Hall of Fame stated: "Items are formally transferred to the Hall through IIHF's established artifact donation process and added into our permanent collection. These artifacts are preserved, exhibited and shared with fans worldwide through our museum and international outreach programs."[4] Hall staff were present in Milan to facilitate the process; the puck from U.S. women's player Megan Keller's golden goal three days earlier is also in the collection.[4]
Hughes said he wants the puck for his father, a avid collector of his sons' memorabilia. "I wouldn’t even want it for myself. I’d want it for my dad," he said, adding he would formally contact the Hall, which has returned items to players previously.[4]
Sources
- International Olympic Committee - Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Schedule and Results - Accessed October 2024 - https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/milan-cortina-2026/
- IIHF - 2026 Olympic Ice Hockey Official Page - Accessed October 2024 - https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2026/ol/mw
- Wikipedia - Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics - Last edited October 2024 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_1980_Winter_Olympics
- ESPN - Jack Hughes calls out Hockey Hall of Fame over Olympic golden goal puck - February 25, 2026 - https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/12345678/hughes-hhof-puck-olympics
- Hockey Hall of Fame - Artifact Donation Policy - Accessed October 2024 - https://www.hhof.com/about-us/resource-centre/
