"This gesture was met with roaring applause" - Hockey fans left divided over moment at NJ Devils' AHL affiliate game involving a Donald Trump banner

In a recent Utica Comets game, the AHL affiliate of the NJ Devils, a moment unfolded that left hockey fans divided and sparked a flurry of reactions on social media. The incident involved the display of a Donald Trump banner, and hockey enthusiasts were quick to express their opinions on the matter.

Adam Herman, a prominent figure in hockey content at Bleacher Report, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a video post that captured the intriguing moment at the Utica Comets game.

The accompanying video piqued the curiosity of fans, leading to a cascade of responses on X.

One fan pointed out the crowd's reaction to the incident, noting:

"In case anyone was wondering they cut the sound out of this video because this gesture was met with roaring applause."

Another fan brought an interesting perspective to the discussion. The fan remarked:

"Imagine a sports team celebrates you and your service to the country and you choose to take that one moment and make it about a politician you like."

A touch of irony was injected into the conversation by another fan, who commented:

"Ironic since they’re being pounded by the Americans."

A fan drew attention to the actions of the players during the incident, stating:

"lol at all the players sitting down."

NJ Devils triumph 4-2 over Nashville Predators

Nico Hischier's two goals propelled the NJ Devils to a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.

Devils coach Lindy Ruff praised his team's effort, saying:

"I think we got what we deserved. We played hard. We had the opportunities. We created the type of chances we wanted to create and we got the two points we needed."

Timo Meier scored the decisive goal in the third period, emphasizing the team's patience and net-front battles.

"We knew we had to be patient and win some battles in front of the net. Get there and you’re going to get a greasy one like we did.Obviously, a real nice effort to get those two points,” Meier said.

Predators coach Andrew Brunette was disappointed with his team's performance, recognizing the Devils' increased desire and energy despite playing back-to-back nights.

Ryan O’Reilly and Tommy Novak scored for Nashville, with O'Reilly noting their opponent's speed and determination:

“They play with speed, they’re fast, They just wanted it more, beating us to pucks, outmuscling us. That was just unacceptable."

On Thursday, the Devils (27-21-4) will face the Los Angeles Kings (24-16-10) at the Prudential Center.