New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes etched his name in United States hockey history. Back in February, Hughes scored the deciding goal of the gold medal game to clinch Team USA's first men's hockey championship in the Winter Olympics since 1980. Hughes has become the face of American hockey due in part to his heroics.
But he has one message. He wants the golden goal puck back.
In an interview with ESPN, Hughes expressed his dissatisfaction over the Hockey Hall of Fame owning possession of the gold medal-winning puck, saying that he should be able to keep it. After the game, the puck went directly to the Hockey Hall of Fame, which is located in Toronto, Canada.
"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 to ESPN in an interview on Tuesday.
Jack Hughes wants gold medal winning puck back from Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame currently has the puck on display, honoring the 2026 Winter Olympics. Hughes' puck is not the only puck on display. Megan Keller's overtime goal puck to help the United States women's team win a gold medal for the third time. Hughes said that it isn't fair that he and Keller don't have the pucks in their possession.
The reason why Hughes wants the puck is because he would like to give it to his father, who is known to collect keepsakes of his sons. That includes Jack, Quinn, and Luke.
"I wouldn't even want it for myself. I'd want it for my dad. I know he'd just love, love having it," said Hughes. "When I look back in time in my career, I don't collect too many things for myself, but my dad's a monster collector for the three of us. I know he would have a special place for it."
Besides the winning goal to help the United States not only win the gold, but finally beat Canada in the Winter Olympics, Hughes score three additional goals, and notched three assists. Hughes had seven points in six games, where he averaged just over 12 minutes of ice time.
Despite wanting the puck back, Hughes and other members of the men's Olympic hockey team lent their game-worn jerseys to members of the Team USA baseball team ahead of their World Baseball Classic Final against Venezuela on Tuesday.
So far this season, Hughes recorded 17 goals and 34 assists through 46 games played.
Hughes had become one of the main faces of the NHL after the gold medal game, both for the winning goal and the controversy surrounding the team's celebration. With the Olympics ending almost a month ago, Hughes wanted it to be known why he can't own the puck of arguably the top moment of his career. We'll see if Hughes and the Hockey Hall of Fame reach some sort of agreement in the coming days, weeks, or months.