Yesterday, the Golden Knights fulfilled childhood dreams of countless professional athletes across North American sports. On top of the agenda for U.S. President Joe Biden was to officially welcome the reigning Stanley Cup champions to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
This royal-type treatment takes place after a team conquers their respective leagues and the Golden Knights were the latest to be honored.
.@GoldenKnights’ Captain Mark Stone took a moment to thank the team’s loyal fans as they celebrated their Stanley Cup win at the White House. pic.twitter.com/t4evJ1h8f4
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 14, 2023
In recent years we’ve seen repeat visitors to the East Room such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins in back-to-back years. Both teams were congratulated by two separate Commander-in-chiefs, but Vegas is hoping to reconnect with President Biden sometime again next year.
It’s an incredible honor to be here at the White House. As kids we grew up dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup. I thinks it’s five months to the day that we raised the Stanley Cup. We all come here in awe of this beautiful place and have such respect for you and the office that you hold. – Mark Stone
The current POTUS has congratulated and honored 21 championship teams during his time in office. So far under Biden, the Georgia Bulldogs and Las Vegas Aces were invited back the next year. Dating back to the Reagan administration, championship repeats happen twice as much when a Democrat occupies the West Wing.
POTUS Party – Total Repeat Champions Since 1981
- Democratic Party: 14 Repeat Champions
- Republican Party: 7 Repeat Champions
In the previous administration, held by a GOP-elected president, only one franchise successfully defended their world title (Golden State Warriors).
It’s an honor to speak on behalf of my teammates. Thank you so much. For some of us this is a once in lifetime opportunity, fortunately some guys have done this more than once. We’re looking forward to try and get back here. Last thing, Go Knights Go. -Stone
By all signs, the Golden Knights will likely be in a position to defend their Stanley Cup championship regardless of what party affiliation. To go along with the running lists of trends, we might as well add in the Democratic title defense. Never forget, ChatGPT correctly predicted Vegas would raise the Cup last season.
