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President-Elect Joe Biden is a big hockey fan and has been to a Washington Capitals game before

By Ian Oland

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November 7, 2020 5:12 pm

Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the United States on Saturday after Pennsylvania pushed the Scranton native over the 270 electoral college votes needed for victory. While Biden and 45 have almost nothing in common, there is something sports-related that they do: they both root for Metropolitan Division rivals of the Washington Capitals.

Joe, and especially incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, are big fans of hockey and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Biden is considered the first Flyers fan in presidential history.

“I have to tell you I am guilty as charged,” Biden said in 2010. “I am a Philadelphia Flyers fan and I make no bones about it. I was a Flyers fan before, but then I married a Philly girl.

“Philadelphia fans are the most, uh, most persistent fans in the world,” Biden continued. “My wife is counted among them….it’s a simple proposition. I root fervently for the Flyers or I sleep alone. It’s not a hard call. It’s not a hard call at all.”

The new president-elect attended a Capitals-Flyers game on December 21, 2016, at Wells Fargo Center. Biden did not sit in a suite. The vice president, at the time, was sitting in the lower bowl just a few rows back from the glass.

He ate ice cream.

Biden stopped by the game after spending time at the University of Pennsylvania to set up what eventually became the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.

In the past, Biden has attended Game Four of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final between the Flyers and Blackhawks as vice president and a 2016-17 regular-season game between the Flyers and Blue Jackets. Here’s him celebrating Pierre-Édouard Bellemare goal.

Biden has also attended a women’s hockey game between the United States and China at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Vice President Biden

Biden’s fandom of the Flyers was recently made fun of during a cold open of Saturday Night Live. Jim Carey, playing the president-elect, walks out for a faux-townhall and points to an audience member in the crowd and walks off stage. “Hey, is that Bobby Clarke of the 1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers?”

Former RMNB writer Chris Gordon, who is affiliated with the campaign, once shared with me a message Biden wrote for him while autographing his book Promises To Keep. Biden commits to watching the Capitals play in person at Capital One Arena. “Let’s go to a hockey game together — at the least please stop by the West Wing to see me,” Biden wrote.

During Biden’s presidential campaign, Jill posted several images supporting the Flyers during the 2020 playoffs including a picture of them standing by a cardboard cutout of Joe wearing a Flyers jersey.

In the past, Joe Biden has been to Capital One Arena before, but it’s unclear if he’s ever visited for a hockey game privately as a senator. Biden has been publicly spotted several times at basketball games sitting with Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein.

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Headline photo: @DrJillBiden

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