Winning the Stanley Cup can make a lot of good things happen for you. Your name gets inscribed on the championship trophy, you get to take that NHL hardware home with you to show off to family and friends, and you even get to travel to the White House to shake hands with the President. On Friday, the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks made their honorary visit to Washington, D.C. to do just that.

As part of his speech, President Obama encouraged Patrick Kane to grow back his playoff mullet. Later, Kane said that a game of basketball between the two was not out of the question. While not letting the magnitude of the event escape them, it seems like the Blackhawks managed to enjoy themselves in Washington. Some of the players even participated in a street hockey clinic with over 70 local kids, teaching them how to play.

It’s unfortunate it has taken so long to arrange this play date in the White House as many of the now-former Blackhawks were unable to attend. Atlanta’s Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd were key pieces in Chicago’s Stanley Cup victory but were not present. Instead of meeting Obama, they suffered an OT loss to New Jersey on home ice. The unwritten rule says nothing matters but the game, but there are exceptions to every rule.

Now the players want to do it again. Going into Saturday’s games, the Hawks sit fifth in the West with 81 points. With only five points separating fourth through 11th, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Each of the final 10-12 games for each team matters. Regulation victories are key. The Blackhawks now know what it’s like to have it all, and anything less than absolute success won’t be good enough anymore.