New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime game-winning goal for the United States against Canada in the men's ice hockey gold-medal game at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, said the Hockey Hall of Fame's possession of the puck was "bulls---".[5][6]
The game took place on February 22, 2026, at Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, securing the first U.S. men's Olympic hockey gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice".[1][3]
Hughes, 24, a U.S. national team member and Devils standout, told ESPN: "I'm trying to get it. … Why would they have that puck?"[5]
The International Ice Hockey Federation donated the puck to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto following the game, as is standard for memorabilia from international tournaments including the Olympics. In such events, on-ice officials collect significant pucks for IIHF processing and donation, unlike NHL games where players often retain them.[4][5]
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."[4][5]
The 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."[5][6] Hall staff were present in Milan to facilitate the process; the puck from Megan Keller's women's golden goal three days earlier is also in the collection.[5]
Hughes said he wants the puck for his father, a longtime hockey memorabilia collector for his sons, including Jack, Quinn (Vancouver Canucks) and Luke (Devils). He plans to formally contact the Hall, which has returned items to players previously.[2][5]
Sources
- International Olympic Committee. "Milano Cortina 2026 Venues." Accessed October 2024. https://olympics.com/ioc/milano-cortina-2026/en/venues
- NHL.com. "Jack Hughes - New Jersey Devils." Accessed October 2024. https://www.nhl.com/devils/player/jack-hughes-8480025
- Wikipedia. "Ice hockey at the Olympic Games." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympic_Games
- Hockey Hall of Fame. "Home Page." Accessed October 2024. https://www.hhof.com/
- ESPN. "NHL." February 23, 2026. https://www.espn.com/nhl/
- Fox News. "Sports Coverage." February 23, 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/sports