Front: Jack Hughes Lost Teeth, Scored Overtime Winner to Deliver U.S. Olympic Hockey Gold
Jack Hughes lost teeth after taking a high stick in the third period but still produced the sudden-death goal that handed the United States a 2-1 victory over Canada in the men’s hockey final at the Milan Cortina Games. The incident, and Hughes’ response, mattered in part because it capped the Americans’ first Olympic men’s hockey gold since 1980.
Front: Jack Hughes’ Bloody Mouth and Overtime Goal
The 24-year-old forward — wearing No. 86 for the United States — was left with a bloody mouth after Sam Bennett’s stick struck him in the third period. Hughes later described looking on the ice and seeing his teeth; he said he had previously lost a tooth in an NHL game a few years earlier. A little more than 1 1/2 minutes into overtime, Hughes beat Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington to score the winning goal and end the final 2-1 in favor of Team USA on Sunday in Milan, Italy (Feb. 22, 2026).
Sam Bennett’s High Stick in the Third Period
The sequence that led to Hughes’ dental injury came in the third period when Sam Bennett’s stick struck Hughes in the mouth. The impact caused at least one tooth to be knocked out on the ice; Hughes was left "spittin’ chiclets, " a stark image that preceded his overtime heroics. Because the injury occurred late in regulation, Hughes entered extra time dealing with the immediate physical aftermath while still on the front of the U. S. attack.
The Overtime Finish Against Jordan Binnington
Hughes’ winning shot beat Jordan Binnington after slightly more than 90 seconds of sudden-death play. The goal ended the gold-medal game and created an immediate measurable outcome: a 2-1 final score that secured the Olympic title for the United States. The timing matters because extra-time goals in Olympic medal games are decisive and leave no room for recovery by the opposing team.
Quinn Hughes, Clayton Keller and the 1980 Reference
Jack’s older brother, Quinn Hughes, 26, is a defenseman on the U. S. roster and was among those celebrating the victory. Teammate Clayton Keller, wearing No. 91, reacted after receiving his gold medal during the medal ceremony. The win marked the United States’ first gold in men’s hockey since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice, " the Lake Placid victory that upset the heavily favored Soviet Union.
New Jersey Devils Forward’s Injury History and Team Context
Hughes plays in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, and his prior experience with dental damage — having had a tooth knocked out in an NHL game a few years earlier — framed his reaction after the high stick. The physical blow in Milan led directly to visible blood and missing teeth, yet the immediate effect did not prevent him from scoring the decisive goal in overtime. Other teammates figured that Jack Hughes will be just fine — unclear in the provided context.
What makes this notable is the sequence of cause and effect: a third-period high stick produced a dental injury and visible blood, and despite that damage Hughes still produced the single play that determined the Olympic final. The combination of injury and clutch performance crystallized the match’s drama and delivered a clear outcome — Olympic gold for the United States.
