Caps to visit Trump White House on Monday By Peter Hassett, Russian Machine Never Breaks blog
As per the usual custom the winner of the Stanley Cup Championship, visits The White House just as the Superbowl winners, World Series winners as well as other sports champions. Lest you think of hockey players as big manly bruisers looking for the next fight, well read the blog post from my favorite blog The Russian Machine Never Breaks for the background on my hometown victors, The Washington Capitals.
And please do check out the link above, it’s a clever work of art stealthily signaling the blog’s opinion on the White House Visit.
Alex Ovechkin says he’s ‘excited’ to attend Capitals’ White House celebration Monday
Forward Brett Connolly joined Smith-Pelly last year in saying he would also skip a White House visit, and he stood by that decision when asked Tuesday night, referencing his support for Smith-Pelly.
“I respectfully decline,” said Connolly, who is Canadian. “That’s all I’ll say about it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It’s obviously a big deal, and it gains a lot of attention. I’ve been in full support of an old teammate that I’m really good friends with who I agreed with and a guy who will be back here, I’m sure, at the end of the year. That’s all I’ll say.”
Goaltender Braden Holtby says he won’t visit White House with Capitals on Monday
By Isabelle Khurshudyan, The Washington Post
Canadian goaltender Braden Holtby said he will not visit the White House with his Washington Capitals teammates, joining forwards Brett Connolly and Devante Smith-Pelly as players who have declined the invitation to honor the team’s Stanley Cup victory Monday.
“I’ve got to stay true to my values, and I’m going to respectfully decline the offer,” Holtby said Friday morning. “In saying that, it’s a tough situation for everyone to be in, to be forced to make a decision of that standing. You’re a team and you want to stick together no matter what, so I hope everyone kind of blows it away and that we don’t worry about who goes and who doesn’t.
I’m so proud of my Stanley Winning Caps finally winning the cup last summer. I’m even more proud that various members of the team have taken stands that show their true values. I don’t hate the guys who are going to the White House — it’s complicated after all, but I love and cherish the guys who are keeping it real.
Crossing my fingers that this year is “Back to Back”!