New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime winning goal for the United States in the men's ice hockey gold medal game against Canada at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, expressed frustration that the puck from the goal is held by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The game took place on February 22, 2026, at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, marking the first U.S. men's Olympic hockey gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.^[1][2]

"Bulls---," Hughes said of the Hall having the puck, adding, "I'm trying to get it. … Why would they have that puck?" in an interview with ESPN.

The puck was donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) following the game, according to Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator for the Hall. "Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack's puck to own," Pritchard told ESPN. "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."^[3]

In Olympic tournaments, officials typically collect pucks from significant goals for donation through the IIHF process, unlike NHL games where players often keep memorabilia. The Hall stated that such items are preserved for public display and outreach.

Hughes said he wants the puck for his father, a avid collector, and plans to formally request it from the Hall, which has returned items to players in the past. The Hall also holds the puck from Megan Keller's women's golden goal three days earlier.

Sources

1. Olympics.com, "Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games venues", accessed October 2024, https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/milan-cortina-2026/
2. IIHF.com, "Olympic ice hockey history", accessed October 2024, https://www.iihf.com/en/events/olympics/history
3. Hockey Hall of Fame, "About the Hockey Hall of Fame", accessed October 2024, https://www.hhof.com/