Jason Schepis was at home in New Jersey, watching the Olympic gold medal hockey game with his kids, when a familiar sight flashed across the screen. Late in a tense third period, Team USA forward Jack Hughes took a stick to the mouth from Canada's Sam Bennett. As Hughes later recounted, at least one full tooth and several shards were left scattered on the ice. For Schepis, the New Jersey Devils' team dentist, it was a personal moment—he knew those teeth intimately, having repaired them just a few years prior after a similar playoff injury.

"We did the root canals, fixed it up," Schepis recalled. "Those were his teeth." In true hockey fashion, Hughes shook off the brutal injury. He then etched his name into Olympic history, scoring the overtime winner for a 2-1 victory, securing America's first men's hockey gold since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980. His subsequent gap-toothed grin became the perfect symbol of a sport where missing teeth is a rugged badge of honor, and the phrase "spittin' chiclets" is as much a part of hockey culture as the gum it references.

This moment underscores a critical, often overlooked part of the game: the essential role of hockey dentists. Every NHL team employs one, and these specialists are rinkside at every game, part of the medical team ready to spring into action. Their expertise is vital in a sport where facial injuries are a common occupational hazard.

"When there is an injury to the mouth, our physicians are like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re so happy you’re here because we would not have been able to do that,’" said San Jose Sharks dentist Mark Nishimura. "Sometimes we’re really not busy, and other times, when it’s bad, it’s bad."

The "bad" times are legendary. Nishimura once handled Joe Pavelski's teeth after a puck struck the player's jaw during the 2019 playoffs—an incident that, remarkably, still resulted in a goal. Later that year, defenseman Keith Yandle lost nine teeth, returned to the game, and proceeded to play 168 consecutive games. In 2013, Brent Burns had three teeth knocked out by a wayward stick, yet he returned to the ice and continued his ironman streak, a testament to both player toughness and rapid dental intervention.

These stories highlight the unique resilience required in hockey, where the will to win often overrides immediate physical pain. It's a mindset that demands not only mental fortitude but also specialized support staff working behind the scenes to keep players in the game. The next time you see a player flashing a less-than-perfect smile after a hard-fought victory, remember the unsung dental professionals who help make those iconic, gritty moments possible.