San Jose Sharks Apologize for Pro-ICE Message during Hispanic Heritage Night
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Fans were left shocked after a scoreboard message went wrong at a Sharks game.
The San Jose Sharks have said sorry after a message on their scoreboard upset fans during Hispanic Heritage Night. The message displayed to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which many found offensive, especially on a night that was for the celebration of the Hispanic community.
The incident happened on October 18, when the Sharks played against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the SAP Center in San Jose. During the first intermission, a message popped up on the screen that said, “SJ SHARKS FANS LOVE ICE!! GET’EM BOYZ!” According to the news outlet ABC7, the message seemed like a hockey joke at first. However, many fans took it as a political statement supporting ICE.
Fans quickly reacted to this message. Jessica Clark, a loyal Sharks fan, told CNN that she loves the team but felt disappointed after seeing that offensively worded statement. She said it was something the team should have reviewed before showing it to the crowd.
During the first intermission of tonight’s game, an offensively worded message which had been externally submitted was inadvertently displayed on the in-arena scoreboard. Sharks Sports & Entertainment deeply regrets that this message, which does not meet our organization’s…
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 19, 2025
After the game, the San Jose Sharks released an apology. They said the message was “externally submitted” and somehow made it past their review process. “We deeply regret that this happened, and this doesn’t meet the values of our organization,” the team said. “We’re working to find out how it got approved.”
The game was supposed to be a night of fun and celebration for the Bay Area’s Hispanic community. Instead, many fans left feeling uncomfortable.
This isn’t the first time ICE-related moments have caused controversy in sports. Just last week, a Milwaukee Brewers fan lost her job after she was caught on video threatening to call ICE on a Hispanic Dodgers supporter during a playoff game.
