NHL Team UNLEASH Fury on Woke Governor During Ceremony

A New Jersey governor walked onto the ice to honor an American Olympic hero and got booed so loudly you’d think she’d scored for the opposing team.

Story Snapshot

Governor Mikie Sherrill faced a cascade of boos at the Prudential Center while participating in a ceremony honoring Jack Hughes and Team USA’s Olympic gold medal win
The rejection came just one day after the Department of Justice sued New Jersey over Sherrill’s sanctuary state executive order blocking federal immigration enforcement
Hughes scored the overtime “Golden Goal” against Canada, ending America’s 46-year Olympic hockey drought, yet the governor’s appearance overshadowed the celebration
Sherrill’s subsequent social media post celebrating the event drew mockery online as fans highlighted the disconnect between her presence and the crowd’s sentiment

When Patriots Choose Their Heroes

The Prudential Center crowd came ready to celebrate on February 25, 2026. Devils fans packed the arena chanting “U-S-A!” in anticipation of honoring their hometown star Jack Hughes and his Olympic teammates. Hughes had delivered the overtime goal against Canada just three days earlier, securing America’s first men’s hockey gold since 1980. The atmosphere was electric, patriotic, and primed for unity. Then Governor Mikie Sherrill’s name echoed through the speakers for the ceremonial puck drop, and the festive mood fractured like thin ice under pressure.

The boos weren’t polite disagreement. They were thunderous, sustained, and unmistakable. Sherrill stood on the ice with her husband Jason Hedberg as waves of disapproval washed over what should have been a triumphant moment. The contrast was stark: adulation for the athletes who’d just won gold for their country, rejection for the politician who governed their state. Devils fans weren’t confused about which side of that divide they occupied, and they made certain everyone in the building understood their position.

NJ Governor Mikie Sherrill was heavily booed at tonights NJ Devils Game.

pic.twitter.com/dP3J7D985S

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 26, 2026

The Timing That Changed Everything

Sherrill’s appearance didn’t occur in a vacuum. Just 24 hours before the puck drop, the United States Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against New Jersey and Sherrill personally. The charge: obstructing federal immigration enforcement through executive orders that expanded the state’s sanctuary policies. For a crowd already waving American flags and celebrating national pride, the timing couldn’t have been worse for the governor. The lawsuit framed her as standing against federal authority at the exact moment she tried to stand alongside Olympic heroes who’d represented that same nation.

The governor’s political troubles extended beyond immigration policy. Since her 2025 gubernatorial campaign, Sherrill faced persistent criticism over a Naval Academy incident where she was disciplined for failing to report classmates who stole electrical engineering test answers. She was barred from walking at commencement despite graduating and serving honorably afterward. Critics viewed this as a character issue, questioning her judgment and integrity. For patriotic Americans already skeptical of her sanctuary policies, the Naval Academy controversy reinforced doubts about whether she embodied the values they celebrated that night.

When Sports and Politics Collide

Jack Hughes took the microphone after the booing subsided and delivered exactly what the moment needed. He praised both the men’s and women’s USA hockey teams for bringing gold home, thanked New Jersey for its support, and expressed pride in representing the state and the Devils. His speech was gracious, unifying, and deliberately apolitical. Hughes later described his teammates as “just hockey players” when asked about the men’s team attending President Trump’s State of the Union while the women’s team declined amid controversy over locker room remarks.

The Devils organization had invited Sherrill to present a state flag award to the Olympians, a ceremonial role governors typically fill without incident. But ceremony couldn’t overcome context. The crowd that night leaned conservative, pro-Trump, and deeply invested in the Olympic victory as a symbol of American exceptionalism. Sherrill’s policies placed her on the opposite side of those values in their eyes. No amount of official protocol could bridge that gap, and the governor learned that lesson in the most public way possible.

The Social Media Aftermath

Sherrill compounded her troubles by posting to Instagram afterward, sharing photos with Hughes, teammate Tanner Thompson, and children holding American flags. Her caption read: “A piece of history… Congratulations… Keep making Jersey proud.” Social media users pounced immediately. Comments mocked the disconnect between her celebratory tone and the audible rejection she’d received. Users wrote variations of “what she deserves” and noted the irony of being “booed during the most festive thing” at a hockey game. The post became evidence of political tone-deafness rather than the feel-good moment she intended.

Mikie Sherrill gets booed at the NJ Devils Game, well deserved 😂 https://t.co/rLr0R9clr6 pic.twitter.com/8Zr92l59Wz

— Wake Up NJ 🇺🇸 New Jersey (@wakeupnj) February 26, 2026

The incident reveals how thoroughly politics has infiltrated even celebratory sports moments. A governor honoring Olympic athletes should be straightforward bipartisan territory. But when policy choices like sanctuary state orders directly conflict with federal law enforcement, and when those choices come from someone with existing credibility questions, public appearances become referendums. The Devils fans didn’t boo Jack Hughes or Team USA. They booed a governor they believe doesn’t share their values, and they did it at full volume in the most patriotic setting imaginable. Sherrill wanted to bask in reflected Olympic glory. Instead, she got a crystal-clear message about how her constituents view her leadership, delivered in front of a packed arena and amplified across social media for anyone who missed it live.