‘Incredible patriots,’ Pens visit Trump
President Donald Trump mostly stuck to hockey in honouring the Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, calling them “true champions and incredible patriots.”
Trump welcomed the Penguins into the Oval Office and celebrated their second consecutive championship in the East Room of the White House. He singled out the achievements of playoff MVP Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, among others.
“Everybody wanted to be here today,” Trump said.
Crosby has said on multiple occasions the team’s decision to go to the White House was not politically motivated. Coach Mike Sullivan said the Penguins understand the circumstances of their visit and he didn’t feel Trump was using them as a political prop.
“We’ve stated clearly from the get-go that our visit to the White House is not political,” Sullivan said. “Nobody’s choosing a side. Nobody’s taking a stand. We are simply honouring our championship and the accomplishments of this group of players over this season or the last two seasons.”
Of the 18 players who won the Cup last season and are still with the Penguins, seven are American, seven are Canadian, two are Swedish, one is Russian and one is Finnish.
Trump congratulated the Penguins for being the first back-toback Cup champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998, complimented co-owner Mario Lemieux’s golf game and drew boos when he referenced Pittsburgh’s upcoming game against the rival Washington Capitals. He said he expected the Penguins to be back at the White House next year.
“This is really a truly great group of world champions,” Trump said. “That’s what they are. They’re world champions.”
Sullivan, the only member of the team who spoke to reporters after the visit, said “zero” politics came up with Trump privately.