"I also heard that the fans are very supportive of the club, and I'm looking forward to playing in front of 20, 000 supporters every week, " he said.

BBC: New signings praise Norwich drive

"I also believe that a celebrity like him which has numerous fans in Italy and the UK should commit publicly to fight racism in football, " said Testa, a lecturer at Brunel University in London.

CNN: 'Fascist' Di Canio polarizes opinion

"I think having the NHL play here is great for the fans and also does encourage people to find out where their nearest ice rink is either to go and watch a game or for the youngsters to start playing, " he said.

CNN: Ice hockey's David faces Goliathan challenge

So I want to congratulate not only the players, the owners, all the managers and team officials, but also the fans, for a historic year.

WHITEHOUSE: President and First Lady Honor the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals | The White House