Jack Hughes, the New Jersey Devils star and Team USA forward, broke his teeth during the intense gold medal hockey match against Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The Incident

Late in the third period of the February 22 game, Hughes was struck in the mouth by a high stick from Canada's Sam Bennett. This brutal impact chipped or knocked out at least two front teeth (some reports say up to three), leaving his mouth bloody and a piece of a previously repaired tooth dislodged. Bennett drew a double-minor penalty (four minutes), giving USA a key power play, though Hughes later high-sticked Bo Horvat, shortening it.

Despite the pain, the gritty 25-year-old stayed on the ice, fought through puck battles, and scored the overtime winner off a Zach Werenski pass—securing USA's first men's hockey gold since 1980 in a 2-1 thriller.

Hughes' Reaction

Post-game, viral images of his gapped, bloody smile became iconic, dubbed "Gaps and Glory." In a Fox News interview upon returning home, Hughes shrugged it off: "In hockey, if you lose your teeth, it's not even a question of coming back... I was just disappointed that I lost my teeth. But it is what it is now... I'm gonna fix these things. I want my good smile back." He refused to smile on camera, saying "No."

Trending Buzz

  • Olympic Hero Status : Fans hailed his toughness; clips spread on X (formerly Twitter) with 276K+ views.
  • Past Context : Hughes had prior dental work from a 2023 injury, which this hit worsened.
  • Rumors & Updates: No link to his November 2025 hand injury (team dinner mishap). As of February 24, he's planning repairs amid Tate McRae dating gossip.

TL;DR : High stick from Sam Bennett in Olympics gold medal game chipped/knocked out Hughes' teeth; he played through it to win.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.