Hughes ‘honored’ Olympic gold medal-winning puck is at Hall of Fame

NEW YORK -- Jack Hughes has a better understanding now of why the Hockey Hall of Fame is the keeper of his historic puck.

The 24-year-old center became a national hero when he shot into the net at 1:41 into overtime for Team USA in a 2-1 victory against Team Canada in the gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 22.

The puck is currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, and Hughes didn’t quite understand why when asked about it.

"I'm trying to get it. Like, that's (bull) that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?" Hughes told ESPN on Tuesday.

When asked if he wished to clear the air about his comments after scoring a goal and getting two assists in a 6-3 win at the New York Rangers on Wednesday, Hughes did.

"I mean, listen, I'm obviously honored that the puck's there," he said. "I mean it's the most special place in hockey. I'm honored that it's there. Obviously, things were taken crazy, that's just the way I felt. I didn't know where the puck was. So it is what it is."

Philip Pritchard, the Hall of Fame’s curator, spoke about the situation with ESPN on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack’s puck to own,” he 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.”

Hughes said he won't be calling the Hall of Fame anytime soon.

"Dude, I've been playing hockey, right," he said. "That's where my head is at."

The Hall acquired the puck almost immediately following the tournament. It was a natural addition since Hughes delivered the most defining goal of the event, and the Hall has long made it a priority of chronicling the milestones of the sport’s rising stars.

The puck sits beneath pristine glass, accompanied by digital highlights looping overhead. It is, in every way, treated as a piece of hockey history.

Team USA's triumph marked the first time the country won gold at the Olympics since the "Miracle on Ice" team did so in 1980.

Hughes' golden goal has turned him into an overnight legend. Linemate Connor Brown believes his experience in Milan, Italy, has instilled in him even greater confidence, too.

"Maybe he's a bit more assertive in the way he feels that we should play," Brown said. "He's a leader in this room. We got a lot of good leaders and he's certainly one of them. I think that's the biggest thing. He's definitely been a little bit more assertive and it's coming out in his play. I think, when you have a guy like that, who's so sure of himself and can be so assertive, it can be inspiring down the lineup. I think that's kind of what you're seeing."

New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe agrees.

"Just the way that he's spoken up and some of the comments he makes on the bench or in the room at different times," Keefe said. "He's not overdoing it by any means but I just think it's appropriate. He went through a gauntlet when he came back here from the Olympics (with interviews and television appearances) in terms of our schedule, combined with his media obligations that he fulfilled.

"But he still really helped get our team feeling good and rolling. We're capitalizing on that good energy that he brought back."