Biden Welcomes the Las Vegas Golden Knights to White House

Yeah, Nevada’s here. I’ll be darn. Please have a seat. Please have a seat. And welcome to the White House, the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. President Harris here to make sure we do this the right way.

(00:58)
And while he couldn’t be here, I want to thank former cabinet member of mine, Marty Walsh from Boston, who I think he’d rather be standing up there than be the commission. Thank you all very much. And now he’s now president NHL Players Union.

(01:15)
And a special thanks to the commissioner who’s here. Congrats on 30 years, 30 years of running and growing a league. 30 years.

(01:29)
Team owner Bill Foley, the entire organization you built on a ice rink in the middle of the desert. Who says you can’t get anything done? And a team of all time. A team of all time. Look Bruce, the entire staff, congratulations on an incredible coaching job.

(01:49)
To the devoted fans, who made it here … We got two future players right here. Look at them. They’re ready. … made it here today, including members of the Congress as well and the family of one of my dear friends, late Senator Harry Reed.

(02:13)
Where’s the Reed family? There you are. Good to see you, man. You couldn’t deny it, but you want it looks like that. Harry Reed is one of my great, great friends.

(02:30)
And most of all, congrats to those incredible players led by Captain Mark Stone. Now Mark’s my kind of guy. I didn’t play ice hockey, but I did play football and this is a guy like some of the guys I played with. Two back surgeries, two back surgeries in a year, missing the second half of the season, returns for game one of the playoffs and scores a hat trick in game five to win the Stanley Cup.

(03:12)
I had a coach used to always say, Tubby Remy said, “If you get down, now just get up.” Get up. This guy gets up and goes, man.

(03:20)
Look, just six years ago the idea of a championship team playing on the ice in the Vegas desert. I mean, think about this. Who would’ve thunk of it, as they say? Seemed like a pipe dream. But the team ownership had faith predicting a playoff run in three years and a Stanley Cup in six. I got to talk to him because the polling data I’m not paying much attention to.

(03:48)
Ever since this team has proved that in Vegas you can beat the odds. A trip to the finals in your first year, very first year, five total trips to the playoffs, four conference finals, 267 total wins in six years. One of the best win records in hockey.

(04:15)
When you came up short in the playoffs you never gave up. This year led by a hell of a defense and a powerful offense you dominated the regular season. Then in the playoffs defeating Allstar teams like the Jets, the Oilers, the Stars without ever facing elimination. And in the Stanley Cup finals you beat the Panthers to become the champions.

(04:38)
Led by these incredible players. Jack leading the league with 26 points in postseason. John, the first true undrafted player in history off of the draft to win that final MVP trophy. Look.

(04:58)
And above all your work as a team, with a winning culture built through hard work and determination. You make folks cheer. And by the way, you make folks laugh. I heard that tradition of giving each game’s MVP the Elvis wig and glasses. Only in Vegas. Only in Vegas.

(05:21)
And together you’re building a legacy and a great American sports tradition. In fact, Kamala hosted the Las Vegas Aces back in September when they just came back to back WNBA title.

(05:36)
Just one promise. Don’t get the Philadelphia Eagles to leave and go because I’ll get divorced if that happens. I married a Philly girl and it’s a long story.

(05:51)
Look, you guys got to keep it up. Let me close with this. You’re proving Vegas sports is one of the best shows in town, but you’re also proving something else about sports. Like all great franchises you give back. You give back to the community sponsoring afterschool activities for kids and programs for the disabled community, honoring service members, veterans ,and military families at games and hockey clinics, and hosting food drives and providing grants to help fight homelessness and hunger throughout southern Nevada.

(06:28)
And in your case, you’ve also held the entire city together. We’ve seen it ever since that very first season, just after one October mass shooting in 2017, showing up for victims’, families, survivors, first responders.

(06:44)
In fact, your championship ring honors them. The diamonds on your rings form a star, the same star on the banner that you raised that honored 58 people who were lost on that day. You guys are something else. When you raised that banner this organization said quote, “Their light continues to shine bright,” in no small part because of all of you.

(07:09)
For Vegas, for Nevada, for all of us, thank you for shining and sharing that light. You’re Vegas born. You’re Vegas strong. Congratulations again.

(07:20)
I’m going to turn this over to Mark. Say a few words.

All right, I’m going to be a little quicker. First off, it’s an incredible honor to be here at The White House. As kids we grew up dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup, but even over the last five months, I think it’s five months to the day that we raised the Stanley Cup, I think it’s definitely exceeded all my expectations and everything that has gone along with it.

(08:05)
We all come here in awe of this beautiful place and have such respect for you and the office that you hold. It’s an honor… Sorry. It’s a lot easier playing hockey in front of 20,000 than this. Can confirm that.

(08:34)
It’s an honor to speak on behalf of not only my teammates, but the entire organization and the city of Las Vegas. It is of course an amazing city. It’s the entertainment capital of the world. I say that with all due respect to Delaware, Mr. President.

(09:02)
Again, thank you so much. This is a for some of us once in a lifetime opportunity. Fortunately, some guys have done this more than once. We’re looking forward to trying to get back here next November. This has exceeded all expectations that I’ve had for this visit.

(09:28)
Mr. President, I’ll be joined now with the president of our hockey club, George McPhee. We’d like to present you with a jersey and in true Vegas golden fashion a golden hockey stick engraved with everything for yourself. And last thing, go Knights go.

Wow.

Thank, man. I’ll tell you what, this thing weighs about 800 pounds. What a great, great honor. This is really something else. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

(10:42)
I’m going to turn it this way so I don’t hit you in the head. Wow. What a great, great gift. Thank you very much. You’re going to make me a hero with all my grandkids. You think I’m kidding. I’m not.

(10:53)
By the way, if you can play with this stick I don’t want to [inaudible 00:11:01]. Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you.

(11:15)
Feel how heavy.

That’s heavy, [inaudible 00:11:20].

[inaudible 00:11:25] Oh, no you’re not stealing it.

All right, one more photo.

Where am I? Just around here? Okay, got it? Can you do me a favor? [inaudible 00:11:54]

Yes.

The center.

Yes.

All right.

[inaudible 00:12:35]

Distinguished guests, please remain in your seats until the president and the vice president have departed the East Room. Thank you.

Mr. President.

Mr. President, should the Israeli’s back off the Al-Shifa Hospital?