Hockey Hall of Fame won't give 'golden goal' puck to Jack Hughes - ESPN

The Hockey Hall of Fame said it will not give Jack Hughes the puck from his gold-medal-winning goal for Team USA in the Milan Cortina Olympics.

«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 on Wednesday.

«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 beat Canada goalie Jordan Binnington with a shot at 1:41 of overtime to give the U.S. men their first Olympic gold since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

That «golden goal» puck, as well as the one scored by Megan Keller to win Olympic gold for the U.S. women's team, were among the Olympic hockey items put on display this week at the Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Hughes, a star center for the New Jersey Devils, believes the pucks belong with the players who scored those goals.

«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 told ESPN on Tuesday. «I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks.»

When a milestone moment happens in the NHL, players are typically allowed to keep pucks and gear for themselves. The Hockey Hall of Fame will frequently request an item for its collection, but it's not guaranteed the players or teams will donate them.

That's not the case in many international tournaments. The Olympic tournament was a joint production by the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Pritchard said the IIHF has been responsible for collecting, authenticating and preserving items from the Olympics and world