WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden honored the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in a ceremony at the White House on Monday, marking the return of an NHL tradition.

The Golden Knights are the first team to visit Biden at the White House since the Tampa Bay Lightning in April 2022, when they celebrated their back-to-back titles won during the pandemic in 2020 and '21. The 2022 champion Colorado Avalanche were unable to make a visit work last season because of scheduling conflicts.

The Golden Knights' visit came as Biden deals with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and before he heads to San Francisco for a meeting later this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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