Open Invitation to the 2017 Stanley Cup Champions, Pittsburgh Penguins, to tour the National Mall

OPEN LETTER

June 12, 2017

David Morehouse
President & CEO
Pittsburgh Penguins
PPG Paints Arena
1001 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Dear Mr. Morehouse,

Congratulations to you and the Pittsburgh Penguins organization for consecutive Stanley Cup championships!

As you know, it is a long-standing tradition for championship teams to visit Washington, D.C. for a celebration of the winning effort. As part of that visit, we extend for the very first time to an NHL team an open invitation to the Pittsburgh Penguins front office, coaching staff and players to tour the National Mall with one of our guides – offering a memorable visit to the capital that extends the team’s championship parade to America’s front yard.

As two places with deep roots in our country’s history, Pittsburgh and the National Mall represent evolving narratives that prove not everything is – like a penguin – black and white. Much like Pittsburgh’s reinvention from a hub for coal mining and steel production to one of diverse industries, education and research, the National Mall is likewise dynamic – reimagining its places and spaces.

Take for example the Lockkeeper’s House – the oldest structure on the National Mall that was originally situated at the intersection of two canals that transported materials, produce and coal that entered the Capital City. The canals have long-since been filled it, leaving the humble house untouched for decades on the corner of a busy intersection. Today, the house is being relocated and restored to a new home on the National Mall, opening it up to visitors for the first time.

These authentic, All-American stories of progress inspire visitors — both domestic and international. But after decades of swelling visitation and dwindling federal resources, the beloved National Mall has become worn down. Shifting, crumbling and cracking threaten to diminish the Mall as a premiere national park. Preservation and transformation efforts across the park are critical. On behalf of the Trust for the National Mall, we hope you consider this invitation to tour the National Mall when visiting Washington as together we march forward toward progress.

Regards,
Catherine Townsend
President & CEO, Trust for the National Mall

cc: National Hockey League
National Hockey League Players’ Association