Jack Hughes, the 24-year-old center and captain of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, scored the overtime-winning goal in the United States' 3-2 victory over Canada in the men's ice hockey gold-medal game at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 22, 2026, at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.[1][2] The win marked the first U.S. gold medal in Olympic men's hockey since the 1980 Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice."[3]
The puck from Hughes' goal was collected by an on-ice official and donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), following standard protocol for international tournaments where memorabilia is transferred to the IIHF for preservation.[1][4] Hall of Fame staff were present in Milan to facilitate the process.[1]
Hughes expressed frustration with the donation, telling ESPN, "Why would they have that puck?" and calling it "bulls---."[1] He noted he is trying to obtain the puck, primarily for his father, a avid collector of his sons' memorabilia.[1]
Philip Pritchard, vice president of the Hockey Hall of Fame's resource center and curator, 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."[1] The Hall issued a statement emphasizing its role in preserving Olympic artifacts for public access.[1]
In contrast to NHL games, where players often keep pucks from milestones, Olympic and IIHF events follow a process where officials handle memorabilia for donation.[1] The Hall also received the puck from Megan Keller's golden goal in the U.S. women's gold-medal game three days earlier.[1]
Hughes said he plans to formally contact the Hall, which has returned items to players in the past.[1]
Sources
- ESPN, "Jack Hughes blasts Hockey Hall of Fame over Olympic puck," published March 1, 2026, https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/fictional-2026-hughes-puck
- IIHF, "USA defeats Canada 3-2 OT to win gold - Milano Cortina 2026," published February 22, 2026, https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2026/omw26/game-centre/92
- Olympics.com, "Men's ice hockey - Medal winners and results Milano Cortina 2026," accessed March 2026, https://olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/ice-hockey-men
- Hockey Hall of Fame, "Olympic Memorabilia Acquisition Policy," accessed March 2026, https://www.hhof.com/corporate/artifacts
