WASHINGTON, Apr 25 US President Joe Biden received members of the professional hockey team on Monday of the Tampa Bay Lightning club, including three Russian hockey players. The event was broadcast by the leading American TV channels. Three players from Russia are also present in the “Tampa”: Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev and Andrey Vasilevsky. During the ceremony, the hockey players presented Biden with personalized hockey equipment with the number 46, which is a reference to his presidential status (Biden is the 46th President of the United States). At the same time, they jokingly turned to the head of state: «Everyone loves gifts, don't they?» Biden agreed and also jokingly noted that he had to report for every gift without fail. The ceremony of congratulating the players in the White House is traditional. The last time it was held in 2019, in subsequent years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was postponed twice.
