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SPORTS Wednesday 16 OctOber 2019
Cup champion Blues visit Trump at White House as full team

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Trump even mentioned and forward Brett Connolly
Hockey Writer the Blues adopting Laura skipped the 2018 cham-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Branigan's 1982 hit "Glo- pion Washington Capitals'
President Donald Trump ria" as their victory song, visit in March in support of
honored the Stanley Cup and the U.S. Marine Band teammate Devante Smith-
champion St. Louis Blues played the team into the Pelly.
on Tuesday, using the oc- ceremony with that tune. "I think this team acts as a
casion to announce an en- Young fan Laila Anderson, team in everything they
voy to Turkey, mention the who was the team's inspira- do," Stillman said. "They
economy and an agricul- tion while she fought a rare stick together. By and
ture deal with China and auto-immune disease, got large, (I) like to keep poli-
laugh off the possibility of her own mention. tics and sports separate.
impeachment. "You inspired the Blues all This is a matter of a tradi-
For the Blues, it was more of season, and today you tional honor, being invited President Donald Trump is presented a team jersey by St. Lou-
a last chance to celebrate continue to inspire all Amer- to the White House by the is Blues owner Tom Stillman during an event to honor the 2019
the first title in franchise his- icans," Trump said. "We all presidency. It's something Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues, in the Rose Garden of the
tory than a political state- know your story." you do. I'm really proud of White House, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Washington.
ment. Like previous NHL Stillman, who presented our group for all coming to-
champions, they decided Trump with a No. 45 Blues gether and having a good half-hour ceremony. "We won the Stanley Cup,
to keep with the long-held jersey, called it a "light- time of it, as well." Coach Craig Berube I think, once we got our
tradition of visiting the pres- hearted, fun kind of cele- NHL Commissioner Gary stressed the notion of the team working together
ident at the White House bration." He echoed Steen's Bettman; Pence's wife, Kar- Blues' playoff run as a team and playing together," Ber-
amid teams from the NBA sentiments about why the en; and Republican Sens. effort and brushed off ube said. "When you play
and other leagues either entire team showed up Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley Trump's comment that the as a team, day in and day
declining or not receiving — a departure from when of Missouri were among pressure was off after win- out — hard — you're going
an invitation or being disin- goaltender Braden Holtby those in attendance for the ning. to be hard to beat. q
vited by Trump.
St. Louis has a heavy con-
centration of Canadians
and just one American still
on the roster from the group
that beat the Boston Bruins
in the Cup Final. Every re-
turning player from the Cup
champions took the tour,
met with Trump and was
present for the ceremony
in the Rose Garden.
"No matter what we do,
we do it as a group," alter-
nate captain Alex Steen
said. "I think that's how we
won. We're a very tight-knit
group."
Trump veered off into talk
about bringing soldiers
home from overseas and
the stock market and re-
vealed Vice President Mike
Pence was traveling to Tur-
key to try to reach a cease-
fire deal. When he circled
back to the Blues, he went
through their improbable
run from last place in the
league to champions with
nods to Steen, owner Tom
Stillman, captain Alex Pi-
etrangelo, goaltender Jor-
dan Binnington, forward
Jaden Schwartz — who he
called "Jason" — and play-
off MVP Ryan O'Reilly.
"Being able to see (the
Oval) Office and get a
tour of the White House, it
doesn't get much better
than that," said Schwartz,
who acknowledged he
might have a new nick-
name. "This is (something)
you'll remember forever."