BIG BOOS: Liberal governor booed by crowd while honoring Olympic hockey star
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was loudly booed by thousands of fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, during a pregame ceremony honoring the New Jersey Devils’ Olympians after Team USA’s dramatic gold-medal victory in men’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
The booing erupted the moment the Democratic governor and her husband, Jason Hedberg, were announced for the ceremonial puck drop before the Devils’ game against the Buffalo Sabres. Sherrill had been invited to present the state flag to star center Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal against Canada in the Olympic final just weeks earlier, but the crowd’s reaction turned what should have been a feel-good homecoming into a stark display of political discontent.
Hughes, the 24-year-old Devils superstar and New Jersey native, received a thunderous ovation and led the crowd in chants of “U-S-A!”
He fought back tears while addressing fans: “I’m so proud… to represent the great state of New Jersey. From the bottom of my heart… we just want to thank you guys for all the love and support.”
The Devils honored all their players who competed in the Olympics—including those representing other countries—marking the NHL’s return to action after the Games. Devils co-owners David and Allison Blitzer joined the ceremony, and the arena was electric with patriotism, making the prolonged boos directed at Sherrill all the more jarring.
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The backlash stems from growing frustration with Sherrill’s policies since she took office in January 2026. Just days before the game, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New Jersey and the governor personally, accusing her administration of expanding sanctuary-state policies and actively obstructing federal immigration enforcement through a new executive order.
Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor, and three-term congresswoman who defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the 2025 gubernatorial race, has also faced renewed scrutiny over a decades-old Naval Academy scandal in which she admitted knowing about midshipmen stealing test answers but did not report them, leading to her not walking at graduation. Critics have repeatedly highlighted the incident as evidence of questionable judgment.
Social media quickly lit up with mockery of Sherrill’s own posts celebrating the Olympic gold alongside Hughes, with users pointing out the irony of her being cheered in photos while being jeered in person. The episode underscores how deeply polarized New Jersey politics have become, even at a sports venue nicknamed “The Rock,” where fans came to celebrate a local hero and Olympic triumph rather than engage in partisan drama.