WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sitting in his black wheelchair, Vladimir Konstantinov gave President Clinton a thumbs-up.
 The annual visit to the White House by a Stanley Cup championship team turned into an emotional reunion Friday as the Detroit Red Wings defensemen made his first public appearance since a limousine accident seven months ago.
 "Vladi, we know how hard you are working, and how far you have come since your accident last summer. You are showing every day that you have the heart of a champion," Clinton told Konstantinov after the two exchanged thumbs-up signs in the East Room of the White House.
 Konstantinov, in a coma for weeks after the accident and now slowly regaining his ability to speak, also nodded often at encouraging words from the speakers and shared smiles with his teammates during the ceremony.
 "Vladi's really excited and really happy," said Konstantinov's wife, Irina, who accompanied her husband for the quick round-trip flight from Florida, where Konstantinov remains hospitalized. "He was up at five in the morning today. He's very excited about seeing old teammates."
 Konstantinov, teammate Vyacheslav Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were injured when their limousine hit a tree June 13, just six days after the Red Wings won their first NHL title in 42 years. Fetisov and the driver received minor injuries; Mnatsakanov is still hospitalized in Detroit, and is not expected to walk again.
 "We take one day at a time," Irina Konstantinov said. "It's really tough to go through such a time like this. Every day he's getting better and better. He started to make his first steps with the therapist."
 It was the first time many of the Red Wings had seen Konstantinov since October.
 "He's been recognizing the players, and saying 'Hello,' " right wing Doug Brown said. "And that's nice to see. He seems to be enjoying it. ... I'm pleased to see he's progressing. I'd like to see him a lot better."
 Konstantinov and Fetisov are two of the "Russian Five" that helped the Red Wings win their first Stanley Cup since 1955. Brown, one of the few Americans on the team, found himself giving history lessons to his teammates as they rode past the various monuments on the way to the White House.
 "If they have any questions, I try to clue them in a little bit," Brown said. "I told them they have a file on those boys in the back from about 10 years ago."
 Clinton also noted the strong Russian connection when speaking about Konstantinov.
 "I reminded him that I am term-limited in my present position," Clinton said. "And I asked him to take a picture with me. I said, 'You know, you can't ever tell, I might run for office in Russia some day.'
 "So he agreed to do it. I expect it to be in the papers in Moscow any day -- and I expect my popularity to soar as a result of it."