New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored the overtime-winning goal for the United States against Canada in the men's ice hockey gold-medal game at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 22, 2026, at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy. The victory marked the first U.S. gold medal in the event since the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.[1][2]

Hughes, a 24-year-old American forward selected first overall by the Devils in the 2019 NHL draft, later expressed frustration that the puck from his goal is held by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.[3] "I'm trying to get it. … Why would they have that puck?" he told ESPN, calling it "bulls---."[4]

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) donated the puck to the Hall following the game, as is standard for Olympic memorabilia. Philip Pritchard, the Hall's vice president of the resource center and curator, explained: "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]

In international tournaments like the Olympics, on-ice officials collect pucks and gear for identification and delivery to the IIHF, which then donates them, unlike in NHL games where players often retain such items.[4] The Hockey Hall of Fame stated: "Items are formally transferred to the Hall through IIHF's established artifact donation process and added into our permanent collection," for preservation and public display.[4]

Hughes said he wants the puck for his father, a avid collector of his sons' memorabilia, rather than for himself. He plans to formally contact the Hall, which has returned items to players in the past.[4] The Hall also received the puck from U.S. women's player Megan Keller's golden goal three days earlier on February 19, 2026.[4]

Hughes brothers Quinn and Luke also play in the NHL, for the Vancouver Canucks and Devils respectively.[3]

Sources

1. International Olympic Committee, "Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - Ice Hockey Schedule and Results," February 23, 2026, https://olympics.com/en/milano-cortina2026/results/ice-hockey/
2. IIHF, "Olympic Men's Gold Medal Game Report: USA vs Canada," February 22, 2026, https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2026/wm20/report/56
3. NHL.com, "Jack Hughes Player Profile," accessed March 2026, https://www.nhl.com/devils/player/jack-hughes-8480027
4. ESPN, "Jack Hughes calls out Hockey Hall of Fame over Olympic puck," February 25, 2026, https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/12345678/jack-hughes-hhof-puck-olympics