President Obama to honor Hawks on March 11

Two days after his overtime goal in Game 6 against Philadelphia clinched the Blackhawks their first Stanley Cup in 49 years last June, Patrick Kane got a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama.

Now Kane and his teammates from the 2010 Cup team will get the chance to meet with the President personally.

The Hawks will visit President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House on Friday, March 11, for a ceremony honoring the champs at 2 p.m., Chicago time.

The Hawks will be in Washington to play the Capitals in a nationally televised game on March 13.

Following the ceremony, Mrs. Obama, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean will preside over a street hockey workout and clinic on a rink set up on the South Lawn of the White House.

The clinic is for local youngsters and will be conducted by members of the Hawks and Capitals. It’s part of Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, with the NHL and USA Hockey, encouraging children to lead active and healthy lives.

The entire Hawks front office, headed by chairman Rocky Wirtz and president John McDonough, as well as those players who were part of the championship team, will attend the event.

The Hawks also have invited those players no longer with the team to the ceremony, but it will be up to the players’ new teams to allow them to attend.

The Atlanta Thrashers play that night, which means Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd can’t attend. The Edmonton Oilers (Colin Fraser), Minnesota Wild (John Madden) and Dallas Stars (Adam Burish) also play.

San Jose (Antti Niemi and Ben Eager), Montreal (Brent Sopel) and Philadelphia (Kris Versteeg and Nick Boynton) do not have games scheduled.

On Thursday, Hawks players and staff members will visit wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to the team.