New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime winner for the United States in the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, said the Hockey Hall of Fame's possession of the puck was "bulls---."[1] Hughes, a 24-year-old American center born in 2001 and the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, told ESPN he was trying to obtain the puck.[1][2]

Hughes' goal on February 22, 2026, at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, secured a victory over Canada and the first U.S. men's Olympic hockey gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.[1][3][4] The United States defeated the Soviet Union in the 1980 semifinals before beating Finland in the final for gold.[4]

The puck was donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which oversees artifact collection in Olympic tournaments.[1][5] Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame, told ESPN: "Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack's puck to own."[1] He noted a paper trail and signed paperwork for the donation.[1]

In international tournaments including the Olympics, on-ice officials collect pucks and gear for memorabilia, delivering them to the IIHF for donation, unlike NHL games where players often keep such items.[1] The Hall of Fame stated that items are preserved and exhibited for fans worldwide through its museum.[1] Staff from the Hall were present in Milan to assist.[1]

Hughes said he would formally contact the Hall, which has returned items to players previously, and noted he wanted the puck for his father, a collector.[1] The Hall also holds the puck from Megan Keller's golden goal in the U.S. women's gold medal game three days earlier on February 19, 2026.[1]

Sources

1. ESPN, "Jack Hughes calls BS on Hockey Hall of Fame having golden goal puck," February 23, 2026, https://www.espn.com/nhl/
2. Wikipedia, "Jack Hughes (ice hockey)," accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hughes_(ice_hockey)
3. Olympics.com, "Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics official site," accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/milano-cortina-2026/
4. IIHF, "Olympic Ice Hockey history," accessed October 2024, https://www.iihf.com/en/events/olympics/history
5. Hockey Hall of Fame, "Official website," accessed October 2024, https://www.hhof.com/