Over the last nine decades, just sixteen men have occupied the office of President of the United States. On January 20th, a 17th man will join that highly exclusive group -- either Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) or Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) whose own nominations are now moving from presumptive to official at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Of the sixteen who have already served in the Oval Office since 1920, all but five were nominated for that office in an arena which has also been the home of one or more professional hockey teams. The man who is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States in a little less than five months will make an even dozen as Sen. Obama will have been nominated by his party at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO, the home of the NHL Colorado Avelanche, and Sen. McCain will have been nominated at the Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN, the home of the NHL Minnesota Wild. (NOTE: On August 28, Sen. Obama became just the third nominee since 1920 to deliver a formal acceptance speech at a different venue that where he was nominated when he spoke before a crowd of more than 80,000 at Invesco Field on the final night of the Convention following the lead of John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.)



Below is a list of the eleven different men who have served as President of the United States since 1920 who were nominated for the office one or more times in buildings that are (or were) far better known for the hockey teams that have called them home.



Ten of the US Presidents who were nominated in hockey rinks.



1920 Warren G. Harding (R-OH): Chicago, IL--Chicago Coliseum--Chicago Black Hawks (NHL)



The Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, IL



1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY): Chicago, IL--Chicago Stadium--Chicago Black Hawks (NHL)



Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL (1932)

1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY): Philladelphia, PA--Convention Hall--Philadelphia Blazers (WHA); Philadelphia Firebirds (NAHL, AHL)
(NOTE: FDR's seminal acceptance speech, entitled "A Rendezvous With Destiny," was delivered outdoors on June 27, 1936, at Franklin Field, the University of Pennsylvania's football stadium (also used for many years by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles) which was located just two blocks from Convention Hall.)



Philadelphia Convention Hall, Philadelphia, PA (1936)

1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY): Chicago, IL--Chicago Stadium--Chicago Black Hawks (NHL)

1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY): Chicago, IL--Chicago Stadium---Chicago Black Hawks (NHL)



1948 Harry S Truman (D-MO): Philladelphia, PA--Convention Hall--Philadelphia Blazers (WHA); Philadelphia Firebirds (NAHL, AHL)



Philadelphia Convention Hall, Philadelphia, PA (1948)



1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-TX/PA): Chicago, IL--International Amphitheatre--Chicago Cougars (WHA)



The International Amphithetre, Chicago, IL

1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R-TX/PA): San Francisco, CA (Daly City)--Cow Palace--SF Sharks, SF Spiders (IHL), SF Seals (WHL), San José Sharks (NHL)



The Cow Palace, Daly City, CA



1960 John F. Kennedy (D-MA): Los Angeles--Los Angele Memorial Sports Arena--LA Blades (WHL; PHL), LA Kings (NHL)
(NOTE: JFK delivered his acceptance speech at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum which shares the grounds of Exposition Park with the adjacent Sports Arena.)



The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA



1964 Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX): Atlantic City, NJ--Convention Hall (now Boardwalk Hall)--Atlantic City Seagulls (EAHL), Boardwalk Bullies (ECHL)



Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, NJ



1976 Jimmy Carter (D-GA): New York City--Madison Square Garden--New York Rangers (NHL), New York Golden Blades (WHA)



Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (1976)



1980 Ronald Reagan (R-CA): Detroit--Joe Louis Arena--Detroit Red Wings (NHL)



The Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

1984 Ronald Reagan (R-CA): Dallas--Reunion Arena--Dalla Stars (NHL)



Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX



1992 William J. Clinton (D-AR): New York City--Madison Square Garden--New York Rangers (NHL), New York Golden Blades (WHA)

1996 William J. Clinton (D-AR): Chicago, IL--United Center--Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)



United Center, Chicago, IL



2000 George W. Bush (R-TX): Philadelphia, PA--Wachovia (then First Union) Center--Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL)



Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA

2004 George W. Bush (R-TX): New York City--Madison Square Garden--New York Rangers (NHL), New York Golden Blades (WHA)



*Although never "elected" President, Gerald R. Ford (R-MI) was nominated in 1976 at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO, which was briefly the home of the NHL Kansas City Scouts (1974-76), and later the CHL Kansas City Blues (1976-77) IHL Kansas City Blades (1999-2000), UHL Kansas City Outlaws (2004-05).



Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO

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