Jack Hughes truly left it all on the ice for the United States Men’s Hockey Team in the Gold Medal match against Canada.
In the third quarter, Hughes was on the receiving end of a high-sticking penalty from Sam Bennett, which resulted in a four-minute power play, but also left Hughes without his tooth.
“My first thought was, draw the penalty,” Hughes joked after the game (per ESPN). “Actually, my first thought, I looked on the ice and saw my teeth.”
And this moment certainly brought back memories for Celtics fans, who saw something similar happen with one of Boston’s star players a few years ago.
During Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals, White chipped his tooth while diving for a loose ball and hitting his face on the ground. But, in the end, White was a champion, as the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in that game, 106-88. And even the Celtics poked fun at Hughes’ moment, sharing a photo of him along with the viral photo of White.
It seems that chipping a tooth en route to a championship is a right of passage!
And Hughes’ teammates were having fun with it postgame.
“Jack ‘the Superstar’ Hughes. I don’t know how many (teeth) he lost, but it’s only fitting,” Matthew Tkachuk said (per USA Today). “That’s a guy who is willing to give it all and what a huge goal.”
“More people are going to be looking at his medal than his teeth,” Matt Boldy joked (per ESPN).
Fans React To The Derrick White – Jake Hughes Comparisons
“Chipped teeth in “champion-chip” games,” one person commented on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This is the key to winning on the biggest of stages,” another person shared.
“jack hughes posted by the celtics ELITE CROSSOVER,” someone posted.
Quinn Hughes Shares Thoughtful Message To His Brother, Jack Hughes, After Game-Winning Goal
GettyJack Hughes and Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes was so proud of his brother following the game-winning goal and wanted the world to know how he felt.
“I’m just proud, obviously. He’s gone through a lot with two shoulder surgeries and he just loves the game more than anyone and all he wants to do is be healthy and play,” Quinn said. “And I think in this tournament he showed he’s one of the best players in the world, clearly, and just persevering at such a young age. I mean, he’s only 24 and I don’t think people understand how hard it is when you go through things like that.”
Celtics Joke Jack Hughes’ Gold Medal Tooth Loss Is Good Luck, Just Ask Derrick White