The Utah Hockey Club just wrapped up its inaugural season with a 6–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. But it wasn’t the result that had fans buzzing afterward. Instead, all eyes were on star defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and a hand gesture he made toward a TV camera after the game.
Mikhail Sergachev was one of the key players who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, winning two championships between 2020 and 2022. But ahead of the 2024–2025 campaign, the Russian defenseman was traded to the Utah Hockey Club—formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes.
Mikhail Sergachevs forbidden gesture
He was immediately named an assistant captain, highlighting how central he was to the team’s plans. Sergachev suited up for 77 games this season, recording 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points, while averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per game.
It’s fair to say Mikhail Sergachev has been a welcome addition to a Utah team that nearly made the playoffs in its first season. But when the season ended on April 15 with a 6–1 loss to the Blues, the talented Russian decided to make a statement about how he felt about missing the postseason. He didn’t use words to express it—he let his actions speak. As the Utah players walked off the ice and passed a TV camera, Sergachev, wearing a stone-cold expression, raised his middle finger. You can see it in the video below. The internet is now laughing at his gesture.
”Saw that….hahaha! Love him so much,” one person writes on X.
