President Joe Biden hosted the two-time Stanley Cup champions the Tampa Bay Lightning at the White House on Monday, and he applauded the team for its work on and off the ice.
Despite being just the 18th team to win back-to-back cups in a century, the Lightning’s members were forced to postpone their first White House visit in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This team didn’t just step up on the ice. You stepped up in the community as well. Through your Lightning Community Hero Program, you’ve delivered more than $25 million in critical causes to people in the region,” the president told attendants on the South Lawn. “Last year, your home arena also became a lifeline for families in Tampa.”
Biden explained how first lady Jill Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, traveled to Tampa during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs to encourage hockey fans to get vaccinated in partnership with the team’s “Shots on Ice” program. The president credited the initiative with “helping save lives, helping bring us back to our lives and our loved ones, and helping the country and our economy go from being on the mend to on the move.”
“Look, I’m not saying that the first lady being there at your arena during the playoffs is why you won, but just saying that she was there during the election season as well,” Biden continued. “She seems to show up when people win. Just something to think about.”
After the president’s remarks, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik noted that the 2022 playoffs start next week and that the first lady “is welcome back.”
“You’ve already told us she’s good luck,” he joked. “I don’t know about you yet, but we’re happy to have her come back.”
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You can watch the entire event below.
