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New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill was booed by fans watching a New Jersey Devils hockey game at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.
The game marks the return of Jack Hughes, an Olympic hero with the U.S. team, to the NHL after scoring the winning goal in Sunday’s gold medal game against Canada.
Sherrill was there to welcome Hughes and other Olympians back on the ice for the United States, but the Newark crowd booed her and her husband, Jason Hedberg, relentlessly after a Penn State spokesperson announced that Sherrill had performed the ceremonial puck drop.
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New Jersey Devils’ No. 86 Jack Hughes attends a pre-Olympic game ceremony with New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, Devils owners David and Allison Blitzer, and others at the Prudential Center on February 25, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)
Still, Sheryl continued to post social media posts that included photos of her, Hughes, and other athletes celebrating their gold medals. Sheryl was ridiculed, with many critics pointing out the amount of booing towards Sheryl.
One X user wrote: “You managed to get a lot of boos during the biggest event in rock history.”
Another user wrote: “Didn’t everyone boo?”
Sherrill has been the target of criticism from patriotic Americans dating back to the 2025 election campaign. It was revealed that she was unable to attend the Naval Academy’s graduation ceremony due to a disciplinary action in which a cadet stole exam answers in a particularly difficult electrical engineering course required for all non-engineering majors.
Sherrill downplayed his involvement, saying, “Some of my classmates didn’t file, so they graduated without walking, were commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy, and served for nearly a decade with the highest levels of honor and honor.”
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill handed the state flag to No. 86 Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils during a pregame welcome ceremony in Newark, New Jersey, on February 25 following the U.S. team’s gold medal win. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Just this week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing New Jersey and Sherrill of expanding sanctuary policies and obstructing federal immigration enforcement through new executive orders.
Still, Sherrill’s presence didn’t stop people from celebrating Hughes and his friends at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.
Prior to puck drop against the Buffalo Sabres, the Devils honored all Olympians from 2026 onwards, including international athletes. No one received a warmer reception from the crowd than Hughes, as fans chanted “USA!”
Hughes nearly broke down in tears while addressing the crowd.
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“I’m very proud and very happy that the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams brought home gold to the United States,” Hughes told the crowd. “You guys are making me emotional, but I’m so proud to represent the New Jersey Devils organization. And so proud to represent the great state of New Jersey. So proud.”
“To all my teammates, my U.S. teammates, I want to sincerely thank you for your love and support. We feel it.”
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