Tuesday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins officially accepted an invitation from the White House and celebrated their 2016-17 championship victory with President Donald Trump.
During the resulting ceremony, Trump called the Penguins a “truly great” team and captain Sidney Crosby “a real winner.” He also inspired boos from a pro-Penguins crowd after asking the team, in an offhanded remark, if the Capitals are a “tough” team to play against.
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“To general manager Jim Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan, I know you have a really big, early-season matchup tomorrow night against the rival Washington Capitals,” Trump began. “Are they tough, the Washington Capitals? Are they tough, huh?”
The crowd booed. Members from the Penguins behind the podium awkwardly smiled. Trump’s comment was in reference to the Penguins playing the Capitals at Capital One Arena on Wednesday Rivarly Night, a nationally televised game.
“So I wanted to thank you for coming today,” Trump continued. “But for us, this is really a truly great group of world champions. That’s what they are: world champions.”
Trump also singled out several players and individually shook their hands.
“Man, can you play,” Trump said of Crosby. “Sidney do you know how to win or what? Look at him, he’s shy.”
Other absurd things that happened during the ceremony include:
President Trump started his speech by stating “By the way, everybody wanted to be here today.” He also called Mario Lemieux a “great golfer.”
That feels like quite a loaded chyron. pic.twitter.com/uZ4M8PfPux
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 10, 2017
Trump just invited the owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins to renegotiate NAFTA.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 10, 2017
Trump jokes Penguins co-owner is a great negotiator — "If you want to get involved in negotiating NAFTA, I like it" https://t.co/UPBTJ2o9h5
— CNN (@CNN) October 10, 2017
Trump to Kessel: I hear his sister Amanda may be the best hockey player in the family. I doubt it. But she's very good.
— Jonathan Bombulie (@BombulieTrib) October 10, 2017
Trump butchering Evgeni Malkin's name btw
— Hemal Jhaveri (@hemjhaveri) October 10, 2017
Sullivan says here that "the team presented him with a gift." Did not elaborate on whether the gift was a jersey or something else. https://t.co/qFhoj9VRbi
— Angie (@acarducci) October 10, 2017
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan explains team's White House visit pic.twitter.com/Mv7Ap4wzJ6
— 🅱eau 🅱erman (@BeauWTAE) October 10, 2017
No jersey but the #Pens did give Trump this. pic.twitter.com/6dgxkqydZa
— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) October 10, 2017
Here is the full ceremony.
