New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes is reportedly requesting to return his Olympic golden-goal puck due to personal reasons. The player has voiced his frustration after the Hockey Hall of Fame decided to keep the puck from his historic Olympic “golden goal.” Meanwhile, the Hockey Hall of Fame has denied the puck from his gold-medal-winning goal for Team USA in the Milan Cortina Olympics. As earlier reports suggested, the 24-year-old forward beat Canada goalie Jordan Binnington with a shot at 1:41 for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, securing the country’s first men’s ice hockey gold medal since 1980. The puck from that iconic moment is currently on display at the Hall of Fame in Toronto as part of a special Olympics exhibit. But, the player believes the keepsake should remain with the player who created the moment. Let’s take a closer look at the emerging controversy between the NHL player and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Jack Hughes requests his Olympic golden-goal puck back from the Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame has denied Jack Hughes‘ request to return the Olympic “golden goal” puck to the New Jersey Devils star, despite his public demand to have the historic keepsake. Hughes’ overtime goal against Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington at 1:41 of OT has quickly become one of the most iconic moments in modern U.S. hockey history. The star player scored in 3-on-3 overtime to lift Team USA past Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, securing the Americans’ first men’s hockey gold since 1980. As per reports, the puck was reportedly secured immediately after the game by officials and designated for archival purposes, meaning Hughes never actually had possession of it following his gold-medal-winning goal, adding fuel to the controversy.
Jack Hughes has requested for his personal reasons and believes that the keepsake should remain with the player who has scored. Reports suggest that Hughes wants to give the puck to his father, Jim, who loves to collect items related to Hughes and his NHL-playing brothers Quinn and Luke’s career achievements.Meanwhile, the Hockey Hall of Fame believes that it was never Hughes’ puck to own. Vice President and curator Philip Pritchard stated the same, “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.”According to the Vice President and curator, under international tournament protocol, the puck was collected by on‑ice officials, tagged by off‑ice officials, and then formally donated by the IIHF to the Hall of Fame. It is a rule that these artifacts are preserved, exhibited, and shared with fans worldwide through our museum and international outreach programs. This was stated in an official statement made by the Hall of Fame.The statement read, “Items are formally transferred to the Hall through IIHF’s established artifact donation process and added into our permanent collection. These artifacts are preserved, exhibited, and shared with fans worldwide through our museum and international outreach programs, ensuring that defining Olympic and World Championship moments are preserved and remain accessible to the global hockey community.“While Hughes has not confirmed any formal steps to reclaim it, his request has drawn attention across the hockey world, indicating a fresh tension emerging between the player and the international forum.
