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Jack Hughes, with a sense of déjà vu, found himself looking down at the ice at a familiar sight: his own teeth. “I was like, ‘Here we go again,'” he remarked, recalling a similar incident from a few years back during an NHL game.
MILAN, Italy — Before basking in the glory of an Olympic gold medal for the United States, Jack Hughes experienced a less glamorous moment, losing a few teeth in the process.
In a gripping men’s hockey final at the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday, Hughes delivered the game-winning goal in overtime, leading the U.S. to a 2-1 triumph over Canada. Despite the victory, Hughes paid a dental price, taking a stick to the mouth from Sam Bennett in the third period, leaving him with a bloody grin and fewer teeth than he started with.
Reflecting on the incident, Hughes quipped, acknowledging the irony of the situation: “Well, that’s a mouthful to say.” His resilience and humor in the face of adversity added another layer to the unforgettable victory.
Well, that’s a mouthful to say.
The 24-year-old Hughes is a forward for the New Jersey Devils. He scored past Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington after a little more than 1 1/2 minutes of extra time.
Hughes’ older brother, Quinn, 26, is a defenseman for the Americans, who won the country’s first gold in men’s hockey since the 1980 “ Miracle on Ice ” team that upset the heavily favored Soviet Union at Lake Placid.
“No one loves the game more than him,” Quinn said about Jack. “He’s got so much passion. He’s a gamer. He made it happen.”
Other teammates figured that Jack Hughes will be just fine without some of his chompers. There was not exactly a whole lot of sympathy going on around among the 2026 Olympic champs.
After all, it is a well-known and frequent occurrence for hockey players to lose a tooth — or teeth — in their often-violent sport.
“Who cares at this point, to be honest?” said Matt Boldy, who scored the other U.S. goal on Binnington, just 6 minutes after the game began. “I think more people are looking at his medal than his teeth. I’m sure he’ll be OK.”
That’s certainly something to chew on.
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