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Obama honors ‘Hawks at White House: ‘A great example of what Chicago is all about’

Obama

On Monday, President Obama honored the Chicago Blackhawks for their 2013 Stanley Cup championship over Boston with a formal ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

“Now, since I took office, we’ve hosted a lot of championship teams -- from Boston and New York; Pittsburgh and Miami,” Obama said. “But since I’ve been President, only one team has brought a world championship to my hometown of Chicago. And now the Blackhawks have done it twice. Twice!”

Obama also praised the ‘Hawks for their resilience, toughness and off-ice work, mentioning that the team visited wounded warriors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center prior to visiting the White House.

“This team is a great example of what Chicago is all about,” Obama said. “These are not just good hockey players, they’re good guys.”

Attended by Chicago owner Rocky Wirtz, Congressman Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the ceremony included ‘Hawks captain Jonathan Toews presenting an “OBAMA 13" jersey -- the ‘Hawks had to come up with a new idea for the ceremonial sweater this year, after giving Obama a No. 44 jersey following the 2010 Cup win (honoring him as the 44th President of the United States.)

The ceremony also featured several lighthearted moments.

Perhaps the best came at the expense of goalie Corey Crawford in response to his, ahem, “spirited” speech at Grant Park during the Stanley Cup parade:

“Two million Chicago fans came out to Grant Park to celebrate bringing home the Cup,” Obama said. “Speaking of Grant Park, we were originally going to let Corey Crawford say a few words today, but we thought we’d keep this family event family-friendly.

“You guys have been hanging out with Rahm Emanuel too much.”