U.s. Olympic Hockey Hero Jack Hughes Finally Fixes Teeth Broken In Gold-medal Game

Jack Hughes is backmost connected nan crystal pinch a caller smile, astir a period aft he collapsed his teeth while starring Team USA men’s lucky to golden astatine nan Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics.

After securing nan triumph against rival Canada connected February 22, Hughes returned to his NHL team, nan New Jersey Devils, successful March. The Devils confirmed pinch NBC News that Hughes fixed his apical teeth connected March 17.

Hughes’ shattered grin will beryllium nan defining image of Team USA’s victory.

During nan 3rd play of that gold-medal game, Canada’s Sam Bennett’s precocious instrumentality deed Hughes successful nan face, chipping a fewer of Hughes' teeth. With USA and Canada tied 1-to-1 astatine nan extremity of nan 3rd period, nan 2 teams went into sudden-death overtime.

Early successful nan other period, Zach Werenski passed nan puck to Hughes, who took a 2nd earlier firing a slapshot past Canada’s Jordan Binnington for nan aureate goal. It secured Team USA’s first lucky title since 1980.

Hughes’ mother Ellen told TODAY she was gladsome it was conscionable his teeth and nary different injuries.

“I’m truthful happy he wears a rima guard,” Ellen said. “I can’t moreover ideate really galore much teeth he would person mislaid without a rima guard.”

Dr. Jason Auerbach's practice, Riverside Oral Surgery, is nan charismatic oral surgeon of nan New Jersey Devils. Auerbach said custom-made, custom-fit rima guards protect nan teeth successful respective ways, but not everything is protected.

“If you return a slap changeable to nan face, nan velocity of nan puck is truthful great,” Auerbach said. “The energy, therefore, is truthful awesome that moreover though it’s protected — and it does protect to immoderate grade — location will beryllium immoderate injury.”

Auerbach, who was not Hughes’ dentist for nan process to repair his teeth, said it looked arsenic if astir of Hughes’ injuries were dental and did not require surgery.

As portion of his post-Olympics property tour, Hughes appeared arsenic a impermanent connected The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Hughes told Fallon that he didn’t want to walk clip successful nan dentist chair.

Fallon asked if nan chipped bony was going to beryllium Hughes’ thing. “I tin committedness you, this won’t beryllium my thing,” Hughes said.

Hughes is finishing nan play pinch nan Devils, wherever he has scored 21 points since his Olympic run. Hughes joined New Jersey arsenic nan No. 1 prime for nan 2019 NHL Draft. He is successful twelvemonth 4 of an eight-year, $64 cardinal contract.

"I consciousness a ton of pride. I felt a ton of pridefulness for nan USA, for him successful particular,” Auerbach said. “He’s a New Jersey Devil. I unrecorded and brought my family up successful New Jersey. Yeah, it was a ton of individual pride.”