Jack Hughes (second from the right) lost teeth in the Olympic men's ice hockey final

Jack Hughes (second from the right) lost teeth in the Olympic men's ice hockey final

 JULIEN DE ROSA

Jack Hughes lost his front teeth before scoring the overtime goal that gave the USA Olympic ice hockey gold for the first time for 46 years on Sunday.

Hughes took a high stick to the mouth from Canada's Sam Bennett in the third period at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

The USA failed to convert on the resulting four-minute power play, but Hughes then hit the winner in overtime.

The 24-year-old picked up an inch-perfect pass from Zach Werenski to beat Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington 1min 41sec into overtime.

"Yeah, I mean, like my first thought was draw the penalty," Hughes said after the game.

"Actually, my first thought was I looked down the ice and saw my teeth. I was like, here we go again."

Hughes said he feared he had cost the USA the gold.

"I pictured myself on a barstool being the guy that America hates because Canada scores in the power play. I was like, oh my God, here it is. 

"I'm just glad we got out of that pickle I put us in."

The Americans won the men's Olympic ice hockey gold since the 'Miracle on Ice' victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

ea/gj

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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