Posted on 09/08/2009 6:42:27 PM PDT by airborne
The Penguins' charter flight had just departed Detroit's airport in the early morning hours after they won the Stanley Cup on June 12 when general manager Ray Shero first heard the question. "Guys started asking right away, 'Are we going to the White House?'
I was, like, 'Yeah, I think so,'" Shero said Friday. "It's not something you think about before you win, and it's not something you want to do just once."
No strangers to the District of Columbia - they won Games 5 and 7 of a second-round playoff series at Washington's Verizon Center in the spring - the Penguins will visit the White House and President Barack Obama on Thursday.
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. About two hours later, Pittsburgh's other championship team, the NFL's Steelers, begin defense of their Super Bowl title in the league opener against Tennessee at Heinz Field.
"It's been such a great year for Pittsburgh," Shero said. "You can sense it everywhere you go. You can feel it, actually. To have two championships in one city ... it's just been such a special time for Pittsburgh, and everybody in our organization is proud to be a big part of it."
Obama is expected to receive a commemorative Penguins sweater with his surname and No. 44 on its back. He is the country's 44th president, and the first to welcome the Penguins to the White House since George H.W. Bush in 1992.
The Steelers attended a White House ceremony in May. Star linebacker James Harrison was a famous no-show for that event, but Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and playoff Most Valuable Player Evgeni Malkin will not follow Harrison's lead. Both players will be in attendance.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
Congrats...but Detroit is not finished yet...see ya next summer.
Well, at least we know Chicago won’t win.
They have Hossa now! ;^)
Ditto that JD!
Crosby Sucks!!!!!!
Figures.
That will leave a mark.
Of course, most of the players are Canadian and Russian, but what the hey, the president is Kenyan.
Bill Guerin - Worcester, MA
Mark Eaton - Wilmington, DE
Rob Scuderi - Syosset, NY
Brooks Orpik - San Francisco, CA
Hall Gill - Concord, MA
Alex Goligoski - Grand Rapids, MI
Gill and Guerin knew they were going to get the cup while wearing a gold and black uniform one of these days
IMHO, Guerin was the final piece of the puzzle.
The fact that he resigned for less money gives me great hope for this coming season.
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