New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime winner in the United States' gold medal victory over Canada in the men's ice hockey final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, said the game puck is held by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.[1][2]
The goal on February 22, 2026, at Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, clinched the first U.S. men's Olympic hockey gold since 1980.[3] Hughes called it "bulls---" that the Hall possesses the puck, telling ESPN: "I'm trying to get it. … Why would they have that puck?"[1]
Hockey Hall of Fame vice president and curator Philip Pritchard 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."[1][2]
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 is common in NHL games.[1]
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."[1] 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 was also donated.
Hughes, 24, the younger brother of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, said he wants the puck for his father, a avid memorabilia collector, rather than himself. He plans to formally contact the Hall, which has returned items to players previously.[1][4]
The 2026 Olympics marked the return of NHL players to the Olympic tournament after their absence in 2022.[5]
Sources
- ESPN, NHL Coverage, accessed October 2024, https://www.espn.com/nhl/
- Hockey Hall of Fame, Home Page, accessed October 2024, https://www.hhof.com/
- Olympics.com, Milano Cortina 2026 Ice Hockey, accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/ice-hockey
- Wikipedia, Jack Hughes (ice hockey), accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hughes_(ice_hockey)
- NHL.com, Home Page, accessed October 2024, https://www.nhl.com/
