NJ Devils Fans Unload Soul-Crushing Boos On Gov. Mikie Sherrill During Jack Hughes USA Olympic Celebration

What a night in Newark. 

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils rolled out the red carpet to welcome back their golden boy, Jack Hughes, fresh off bringing home Olympic glory for the good ol' US of A. 

The Rock was absolutely buzzing. 

But if you thought the story of the night was going to be a simple stick tap for an American hero, you haven't been paying attention to the cultural temperature of hockey fans right now.

READ: Devils Fans Welcome Jack Hughes Back To New Jersey With Pregame Celebration

Let’s rewind a second. For the last week, the sports media elites and the perpetual outrage machine have been crying themselves to sleep because Tage Thompson and the boys dared to celebrate their Olympic triumph while sporting MAGA hats. The horror! 

The Dem pearl-clutching was off the charts. The left-wing mob did everything they could to tear down a gold-medal team just because the boys wouldn't toe the progressive line.

Well, hockey fans have had just about enough of it.

So, when Democrat New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill decided it would be a brilliant PR move to strut out onto the ice and glom onto Hughes's Olympic shine during the pregame ceremony, the fans let her have it. 

WATCH:

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 25: Governor of New Jersey Mikie Sherrill presents the state flag to Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils in a pregame welcome home ceremony following the Olympics Team USA gold medal win prior to the game against the Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center on February 25, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

And by "let her have it," we mean they unleashed a tidal wave of boos so fierce it probably registered on the local Richter scale.

OutKick founder Clay Travis perfectly summed up the chaos on X: 

"New Jersey Devils fans boo Democrat governor Mikie Sherrill as she’s introduced. Hockey fans are over the Democrat attacks on a gold medal winning team. Love to see it."

But folks, the video circulating online doesn’t even capture the sheer magnitude of the hostility. 

READ: Tage Thompson Responds To MAGA Hat Criticism After Team USA Gold: 'Proud To Be An American'

Our very own Dan Zaksheske was in the building and he responded to Clay with the boots-on-the-ground reality:

"Clay, this video doesn't do it justice. Being in the arena, I'm not sure I've ever heard louder and longer boos. It lasted for a full 10 seconds and you couldn't hear anything else the PA announcer was saying."

Ten straight seconds of deafening, soul-crushing rejection. 

You just absolutely love to see it.

Regular Americans are done with the political grandstanding, and they are certainly done with politicians who align with the very people trying to cancel our athletes for having the "wrong" politics. 

Jack Hughes got his hero’s welcome. Mikie Sherrill got a massive reality check. Just another beautiful night in the NHL.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela