Trump Hosts Florida Panthers, Stanley Cup Champions, at the White House

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump primarily focused on sports and avoided discussing tariffs as he welcomed the NHL’s reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, to the White House on Monday.

Trump postponed the ceremony by nearly an hour to speak with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about tariff matters. Eventually, with the Stanley Cup displayed on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump took photos with the team, conversed with players and Panthers owner Vinnie Viola—whom he regards as a close friend—and received a couple of jerseys along with a golden hockey stick as gifts.

He commended the Panthers for their journey from losing to Vegas in the finals in 2023 to securing the first title in franchise history, humorously likening it to his own return to the White House.

“You delivered one of the most thrilling comebacks in NHL history, and in all of sports history,” Trump remarked. “I’m not familiar with comebacks, but I’ve heard that they’re quite impressive.”

The Panthers gifted him a specially made red “Trump 45-47” jersey framed for display. He also received a “Trump 47” jersey and the golden stick from Viola, Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov, and American forward Matthew Tkachuk.

“We had to go with 45 and 47, right?” Viola expressed to Trump. “We brought a group, to use a military term, of champions to meet a champion. Your generosity and the hospitality shown by your team reflect the excellence you expect in people, and we greatly appreciated it today.”

Trump briefly nominated Viola to serve as his Secretary of the Army in 2016, although Viola later withdrew from consideration.

“He excels at everything he has done and has a deep appreciation for the military,” Trump remarked.

The president highlighted goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, forward Anton Lundell, Game 7 goal-scorers Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, along with Florida coach Paul Maurice and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who has enjoyed a lengthy tenure of over 30 years in professional sports, originally starting in the NBA.

“He does an outstanding job,” Trump stated regarding Bettman. “I’ve known him for a long time, even from his days in another league. You’ve done incredible work here.”

Shortly after the ceremony concluded, Trump declared that he had agreed to pause tariffs on Canada as well as Mexico for a period of 30 days.

Tkachuk, the only American player remaining on the team this season, expressed gratitude to Trump for hosting the Panthers.

“As one of the few Americans who loves this country so deeply, this is an extraordinary day for me,” Tkachuk shared. “Each day I wake up feeling grateful to be an American, so thank you for this experience.”

The Panthers made their visit to the White House ahead of their matchup with the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is on the hunt for the league’s career goals record, which is held by Wayne Gretzky, whom Trump mentioned he spoke with recently.

“Are you familiar with Wayne Gretzky?” Trump queried. “Have you ever heard of Wayne Gretzky? Isn’t he the ‘Great One?’ He was sharing with me about a gentleman who supported him named Marty McSorley. Do you know who he is? I’m not sure how skilled he was as a player, but I’ve heard he was very tough. Wayne praised him highly.”

By Stephen Whyno