If Jack Hughes wants to see the puck from the biggest goal of his life, he will have to travel to Toronto to see it.
The New Jersey Devils star turned USA Hockey Olympic hero called out the Hockey Hall of Fame, saying it was "bulls---" that they had the puck that found the back of the net off Hughes' stick to give the United States their first gold medal in men's hockey since 1980.
"I'm trying to get it… Why would they have that puck?" Hughes said to ESPN.
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Well, they have it because it was donated after the game by the International Ice Hockey Federation.
"Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack's puck to own," Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator for the Hockey Hall of Fame, told ESPN in response to Hughes. "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."
NHL players are often allowed to keep pucks and gear for themselves when milestone moments occur in NHL games, but in most international tournaments, including the Olympics, an on-ice official is in charge of collecting what becomes memorabilia and giving it to an off-ice official for identification, who will then deliver it to the IIHF for donation.
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"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," the Hall of Fame said in a statement.
The Hall of Fame had staff on hand in Milan to assist in the donation process. Megan Keller's golden goal, scored three days before Hughes', is also in the Hall of Fame.
"I wouldn't even want it for myself," he explained. "I'd want it for my dad. I know he'd just love, love having it," Hughes said of the puck. 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."
Hughes said he would formally reach out to the Hall, which has gifted items back to players in the past.
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