Jack Hughes
Left Empty-Netted
… Corridor Says Puck Is ‘Permanent’
Revealed
Jack Hughes can preserve pushing all he needs … nevertheless it seems like that golden purpose puck is staying put — completely.
Regardless of the New Jersey Devils star publicly blasting the Hockey Corridor of Fame and attempting to reclaim the piece of historical past, the Corridor is making one factor clear to TMZ Sports activities: it’s not going wherever.
Enter Phil Pritchard — aka the “Keeper of the Cup” and VP of the Corridor — who mainly shut the door on Hughes’ hopes.
“As with every artifact in the Hockey Hall of Fame (puck, jersey, stick, helmet, artwork, whatever) we look after it, preserve it, conserve and it becomes a permanent part of our collection,” Pritchard mentioned.
Everlasting.
In different phrases … don’t anticipate that puck to be boxed up and shipped to the Hughes family anytime quickly — or ever.
Pritchard doubled down on the Corridor’s stance, emphasizing that their total mission is about defending the game’s historical past for good.
“Our mission statement is to preserve, document, and record the game … we do it with our entire collection, including the gold medal puck.”
Meaning the identical puck Hughes has been attempting to trace down — the one which gave Crew USA its first Olympic gold for the reason that Miracle on Ice in 1980 — is formally museum property now, locked into hockey historical past alongside different iconic memorabilia.
In fact, Hughes made it clear he doesn’t agree … calling it “bulls***” in an interview with ESPN earlier this week and arguing that he and Megan Keller on the ladies’s aspect ought to have their game-winning pucks.
He even mentioned if he obtained it again, he wouldn’t preserve it for himself … he’d give it to his dad, Jim Hughes, the household’s self-described tremendous collector.
However sentiment apart, the Corridor isn’t budging.
Hughes could have delivered a golden second on the ice … however the memento that got here with it seems prefer it’s staying behind glass ceaselessly.
