NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill booed at Devils game honoring US Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill was booed by fans attending the NJ Devils hockey game at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.

The game marked the NHL return of Team USA Olympic hero Jack Hughes since he scored the winning goal against Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday.

Sherrill was in attendance to welcome Hughes and other Olympic players back to stateside ice, but when she was announced by the PA spokesperson for the ceremonial puck drop, the Newark crowd erupted in relentless boos for her and her husband, Jason Hedberg.

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Still, Sherrill went on to make a social media post that included photos of her, Hughes and other players, celebrating the gold medal. Sherrill was mocked in response, as many critics pointed out how loudly she was booed.

"You managed to somehow get booed loudly during the most festive thing at the Rock ever," one X user wrote.

Another user wrote, "Didn’t everyone boo you?"

Sherrill has been a target of criticism from patriotic Americans dating back to her 2025 campaign, when it was revealed she was kept from participating in her Naval Academy commencement due to disciplinary action involving midshipmen stealing test answers in a particularly challenging electrical engineering course required for all non-engineering majors.

Sherill downplayed her involvement, saying, "I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor."

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Just this week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against New Jersey and Sherrill, accusing the state of expanding its sanctuary policies and obstructing federal immigration enforcement through a new executive order.

Still, Sherill's presence didn't stop anyone at the Prudential Center from celebrating Hughes and company on Wednesday.

Prior to the puck drop against the Buffalo Sabres, the Devils honored all of their Olympians from 2026, including those who represented foreign nations. No one received a warmer reception from the crowd than Hughes, as fans chanted "U-S-A!"

Hughes nearly broke down in tears while addressing the crowd.

"I’m so proud and I’m so happy that the men’s and women’s USA hockey teams brought gold medals back to the United States of America," Hughes said to the crowd. "You guys are making me emotional, but I’m so proud to represent the New Jersey Devils organization. And I’m so, so proud to represent the great state of New Jersey – so proud.

"From the bottom of my heart, all of my teammates, USA teammates, we just want to thank you guys for all the love and support. We feel it."

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Trump administration blocks Venezuela from paying Maduro's legal bills amid federal charges

The Trump administration has moved to block the Venezuelan government from covering the legal expenses of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as he fights federal drug trafficking and weapons charges in New York, according to a court filing from his attorney.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York on Jan. 5 to drug trafficking and weapons charges, days after American forces captured them at the presidential palace in Venezuela.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case in the Southern District of New York, Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, said the U.S. was preventing the Venezuelan government from covering his client's legal fees.

"The government of Venezuela has an obligation to pay Mr. Maduro’s fees. Mr. Maduro has a legitimate expectation that the government of Venezuela would do so, and Mr. Maduro cannot otherwise afford counsel," Pollack wrote.

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In the letter, dated Feb. 20, Pollack argued that under "Venezuelan law and custom, the government of Venezuela pays the expenses of the President and First Lady."

Pollack said that Maduro and the Venezuelan government were subjected to sanctions by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and his legal counsel would need to be granted a license to represent him and be paid.

While Pollack said OFAC granted licenses for both Maduro and Flores on Jan. 9, Maduro's license was amended "without explanation" to not allow the Venezuelan government to pay for his defense costs.

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Flores' license was not impacted, according to Pollack.

Pollack said that OFAC is "interfering with Mr. Maduro’s ability to retain counsel" and violating his Sixth Amendment right to counsel of his choice.

Maduro's attorney said OFAC has not responded to his request to reinstate the original license and threatened to take legal action if it continued to do so.

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"If OFAC fails to act on the request to reinstate the original license, or denies that request, Mr. Maduro will file a formal motion in the coming days seeking relief from the Court," he wrote.

The U.S. military conducted an operation to capture Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 3. He was flown to New York, where he is being held in a federal jail.

Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Flores faces three charges: cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Treasury Department for comment.

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