WASHINGTON - After ending a 49-year Stanley Cup drought in the 2010 season, it took the Chicago Blackhawks four more seasons to win their next title, and President Obama couldn't be happier.
He welcomed his hometown Blackhawks to the White House on Monday to honor their 2012-13 team, closing its championship celebrations with a longstanding tradition.
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'This team is a great example of what Chicago is all about,' Obama said.
Chicago defeated the Boston Bruins in six games in the Stanley Cup Final to cap a lockout-shortened season in which it went 36-7-5 to also win the Presidents' Trophy.
The Blackhawks began the campaign in record-setting fashion, earning at least a point in 24 consecutive games. Only nine players remained from the 2010 team, underscoring the job general manager Stan Bowman did in constructing the roster in the salary-cap era.
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Goaltender Ray Emery, who signed with the Philadelphia Flyers during the offseason, attended the ceremony with the Blackhawks.
After flying in after their game against the Calgary Flames, the Blackhawks started the day visiting soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Center before they stopped at the White House for the second time during Obama's presidency.
They are the only team from Chicago to win a championship during his tenure.
'Championships belong in Chicago,' the president said.
President Barack Obama holds up two fingers to signify the number of championships the Blackhawks have won while he has been in office.(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)
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