Since netting the golden goal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games, Jack Hughes has found himself thrust into the media spotlight. Weeks after the games, Hughes voiced his desire to keep the puck he scored with.
The puck is currently in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hughes expressed his feelings about not having the puck.
"I'm trying to get it. Like, that's bulls--- that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?" Hughes said. "I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks."
That puck became significant after Hughes scored the game-winning overtime goal in a close matchup between Team USA and Team Canada for the gold medal game.
Earlier in the competition, Team USA women’s hockey went through a similar set of events. Megan Keller scored the overtime winner for Team USA, securing a gold medal in hockey.
Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator for the Hockey Hall of Fame, responded to Jack’s comments to ESPN.
"Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack's puck to own," Pritchard said. "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 ... Part of being a nonprofit registered charity in Canada is it becomes kind of a legal document that we've received it as a donation. We've insured it, we've preserved it, we conserved everything. It becomes part of our institution."
Hughes's request was denied by the Hall of Fame, which operates as a nonprofit organization.
For Hughes, the puck isn't just memorabilia—he longed to give it to his father, hoping to honor and share that triumph with his family. Pritchard and the Hockey Hall of Fame further explained their decision to keep the puck.
"We try to take the emotion out of it. We're here to preserve a game that Jack's lucky enough to play or we're lucky enough to work in," Pritchard said. "That's why the Hockey Hall of Fame museum exists as an institution: We're preserving the game of the past, present and the future."
As things stand, it appears Hughes will not be getting the puck back at this time.
In the meantime, the forward has continued to fight for a playoff spot with the New Jersey Devils.
Hughes earned three points on Wednesday night against the historic rivals, the New York Rangers.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
THN.com/freeFor action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.