[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 5 (Monday, February 11, 2008)]
[Pages 155-157]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Honoring the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks

February 6, 2008

    Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Please be seated. Welcome to the 
White House. We're glad you're here. Like, have you noticed a lot of 
security around here? It's because the Vice President heard there were 
some Ducks around. [Laughter]
    These Ducks are awfully mighty. It's such an honor to welcome you. I 
love welcoming champs to the White House, and these are clearly great 
champs. You know, the playoffs have got to be tough at that time of 
year, after you've played so long and your legs are a little tired--
except you romped through the playoffs. I don't know if many Americans 
understand that, but this team went 16-5 through the first four rounds, 
became the first west coast team in the NHL to win the Stanley Cup. And 
that's a big deal.
    And so it's my honor to welcome you to the White House. Glad you're 
here. I do want to welcome the owner, Henry Samueli; appreciate you 
coming. Thanks for bringing the girls. I had the privilege of being in 
pro sports as a baseball owner. I never had the chance to come to the 
White House as a baseball owner. [Laughter] I had a little trouble on 
the division crowns as a baseball owner. [Laughter] But I understand 
what a joy it must be to represent an ownership group, to watch a team 
you care about win the Stanley Cup, and win any championship.

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So we're glad you came. Thanks for coming, Henry.
    Michael Schulman is the CEO; I'm glad you're here, Mike--Brian 
Burke, the general manager. I really want to say something about Randy 
Carlyle, the head coach. It's got to be hard to be a head coach of such 
great athletes. I don't know if you're ever in the newspaper? Yes. I 
know how you feel. [Laughter] But I'm proud to have you here.
    Scott Niedermayer is the MVP. I tend not to try to single out a 
player, but nevertheless, when you have an MVP in your midst, I'm proud 
to recognize you; glad you're here. I do want to welcome the 
commissioner. Mr. Commissioner, thanks for coming. This isn't the first 
time we've been together like this; it will probably be the last like 
this. [Laughter] But I know you'll keep coming back to the White House 
to promote the champs in a sport you love.
    I want to thank the mayor of Anaheim, my friend Curt Pringle. Thanks 
for coming, Mr. Mayor. It must be a big deal when the Ducks win the 
Stanley Cup for the people of Anaheim, and I'm honored that you're here. 
I also want to welcome Congressman Eddy Royce. Ed, thanks for coming; 
appreciate you being here. Of course, we welcome all the players, all 
the personnel, all the fans.
    And how about the Northern Virginia Ice Dog Mites hockey team? The 
Ice Dogs--[laughter]--are here to see the Ducks. [Laughter] I bet you 
guys want to be Stanley Cup champs some day too, don't you? Well, here 
they are; you got a chance to see what they look like. I bet you they 
would tell you that in order to be a Stanley Cup champ, you have to work 
hard and skate hard and make right choices in life, just like these 
folks did that are standing up here with me.
    The Stanley Cup was awarded 115 years ago, which makes it the oldest 
trophy in professional sports. The Cup bears the names of not only the 
teams that won it but more than 2,000 names of the individuals who have 
raised the Cup in victory. And these men behind me now have their name 
on the Cup.
    The interesting thing about the Stanley Cup, it's the only 
professional sports trophy that every player on the championship team 
gets to take home for a day. This Cup has been to some odd places. 
[Laughter] For example, it went to Elvis's place in Memphis, Graceland. 
[Laughter] It has taken a turn on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It 
has seen the inside of an igloo and a New York City jail. [Laughter] It 
stood next to a giant statue of Lenin and a 55-foot Jolly Green Giant in 
Blue Earth, Minnesota. The Cup has been to countless bars and nightclubs 
across the world, and I'm sure some of the players are pleased the Cup 
can't talk. [Laughter]
    Last year, the Cup made its first visit to a combat zone. Nineteen 
players--former NHL players took this cup to Kandahar Air Base in 
Afghanistan for a ball-hockey game with Canadian and American troops. I 
promise you, our troops were thrilled to see the Cup. And whoever 
thought of it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting 
those kids.
    The Anaheim Ducks also took the Cup on many adventures, traveling 
with it to Canada, Sweden, Finland, and England. Chris Pronger and Todd 
Marchant each took it home to use it as a cereal bowl for the kids--
[laughter]--pretty hungry kids. Sean O'Donnell filled it with dog food 
so that his Lab, Buddy, could eat from it. You know, I was wondering why 
Barney and my dogs took such a liking to the Stanley Cup. [Laughter]
    Ducks players have used their time to help lift the lives of others. 
This is what I'm particularly grateful for. The Ducks took the Cup to 
the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA and the Children's Hospital in 
Orange County, where it brought joy to somebody who is suffering. That 
must have been a fantastic experience, to see somebody's face light up 
who was having a pretty tough go in life, and I want to thank you for 
that. I appreciate the fact that you took the Cup to the Orangewood 
Children's Foundation, where it helped raise the spirits of those who 
have been--who are victims of abuse and neglect.
    Several Ducks took the Cup for a visit to our wounded warriors at 
Camp Pendleton. The general manager, Brian Burke, said this: ``This is 
the most special moment I've had with the Cup--not being with my family, 
not being with my friends, but being at Camp Pendleton.'' He knows what 
I know: The

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United States of America is incredibly lucky to have brave men and women 
volunteer in the face of danger to serve our country. And I cannot thank 
you enough for honoring those wounded warriors, those marines, and for 
lifting their spirits and for thanking them for their sacrifice and 
their service.

    I appreciate your talent. These are great athletes, but they've also 
got big hearts. I congratulate the coaches. I congratulate the family 
members, the wives, girlfriends who put up with the long, long time away 
from home. It's got to be tough to be a spouse supporting somebody you 
love in professional sports, and I want to thank your families for 
supporting you in this.

    I do want to thank all those who make the training room go. You 
know, a lot of times championships are focused on the players, but these 
players will be the first to tell you there's the locker room 
attendants, there's the laundry people, there's the equipment people who 
deserve just as much of this championship as they do. And I want to 
congratulate you and those of you who happened to handle this aspect 
of--for the Anaheim Ducks. Welcome to the White House.

    I will remind you that you've achieved something millions of kids 
dream about--and a couple of oldtimers dream about too. You set a great 
example for them, and I congratulate you for your championship. And 
you'll for always be remembered for the rest of your lives as Stanley 
Cup champs.

    Welcome to the White House, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 3:02 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Gary B. Bettman, commissioner, 
National Hockey League; and Chris Pronger and Sean O'Donnell, 
defensemen, and Todd Marchant, forward, Anaheim Ducks.