Capitals celebrate Stanley Cup victory with Trump

President Trump welcomed the NHL champion Washington Capitals to the White House on Monday to congratulate them on the Stanley Cup title they won last year.

Surrounded by Capitals players and coaches inside the Oval Office, Trump said he enjoyed watching their Cup run and he has a “feeling you’re going to be doing it again.”

“They’re winners and they know how to win. I think you’ll see that starting in a little while,” Trump told reporters.

Trump on the Caps in the Oval, ahead of playoff push: “They’re winners. They know how to win and I think you’re going to see that starting in a little while pic.twitter.com/cZ4j2KNNLq

— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) March 25, 2019

{mosads}Players and staff members reportedly had their photos individually taken with Trump after taking a tour of the White House and before their group photo opportunity around the Resolute Desk, which was draped with a red No. 45 Capitals sweater. 

Trump was flanked by team owner Ted Leonsis and captain Alexander Ovechkin, who stood beside the Stanley Cup. The president said his staff wasn’t immune to Cup fever, telling reporters “that’s all people wanted to talk about. I couldn’t get them focused on other things that we deal with.”

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway watched the ceremony from behind a sofa wearing a Capitals Stanley Cup hat.

The event capped off a celebration that began in June when the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in their 44-year franchise history.

But the White House visit proved to be somewhat of a divisive issue. Forward Brett Connolly and goaltender Braden Holtby did not attend, citing their differences with Trump.

Connolly said he was doing so in support of winger Devante Smith-Pelly, who said after the Cup win that he would not go to the White House because “the things that [Trump] spews are straight-up racist and sexist.”

Smith-Pelly, a black Canadian, is now playing with the Capitals’ minor league affiliate.

The Capitals visit came late in the season, with just six games to go until their Cup defense begins in the 2019 playoffs.