Hockey Hall of Fame Won't Give Jack Hughes Golden Goal Puck After USA Star's 'Bulls--t' Comments

Public complaints from Jack Hughes apparently won't be enough to get the puck he used to score Team USA's golden goal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics out of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

HHOF curator Philip Pritchard told ESPN's Greg Wyshnyski that Hughes has no ownership claim to the puck, which was reportedly secured and authenticated by the International Ice Hockey Federation and Hall of Fame shortly after the United States' overtime win against Canada on Feb. 22.

"Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack's puck to own," Pritchard told Wyshynski. "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."

Wyshynski reported the day prior that Hughes said he thought it was "bulls--t" the HHOF had claimed both his puck and the puck Team USA's Megan Keller used to score in overtime of the women's gold medal game against Canada.

"I'm trying to get it. Like, that's bulls--t that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?... I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks," Hughes told Wyshynski.

He also told Wyshynski he hadn't reached out to the Hall of Fame as of Tuesday, but that "at some point I'll get on it."

Hughes originally said in a Feb. 26 appearance on NHL on TNT he had "no idea" where the puck went after he scored in overtime against Canada.

An IIHF spokesperson told Sportico's Justin Birnbaum the following day the puck had been "immediately secured after the game ended" and "designated for archival preservation with the HHOF to ensure its long-term safekeeping and historical recognition."

Pritchard told Wyshynski that the puck had officially been registered as a charitable donation to the HHOF, which is based in Toronto.

"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," Pritchard told Wyshynski. "We've insured it, we've preserved it, we conserved everything. It becomes part of our institution."

Pritchard added that the HHOF has received past requests from players given them memorabilia, but that the Hall is focused on "preserving the game of the past, present and the future."

The Hockey Hall of Fame is currently displaying both Hughes and Keller's pucks in a display for the 2026 Olympics, which also features jerseys from stars including Connor McDavid, William Nylander and Hilary Knight. The exhibit opened on Monday with Team USA women's hockey star Alex Carpenter in attendance.