MIAMI – President Donald Trump welcomed the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to the White House on Monday afternoon to celebrate their historic victory.
The Panthers are the first professional sports team to visit Trump at the White House since he regained office.
“The Panthers, 2023 and 2024, season was one for the history of books.” Trump remarked. “It was really an exciting one. Everybody was watching it.”
“You secured the Atlantic Division title for the third time, and after coming up just short of the Stanley Cup the year prior, you gave the fans one of the most riveting comebacks in NHL history, in any sport history. I don’t know anything about a comeback, but they tell me it’s very nice,” said Trump.
The team had a red customized “Trump 45-47” jersey framed for him. He was also presented a “Trump 47” jersey and a gold stick.
The ceremony was delayed nearly an hour because Trump was talking to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about pausing tariffs on the country.
Following the presentation, the president invited the team to the Oval Office.
Florida captured its first-ever Stanley Cup in June, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers secured their championship in front of more than 19,000 fans at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, with a 2-1 victory in Game 7.
Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored for Florida, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves to seal the win.
The hard-fought series saw Florida take a commanding 3-0 lead before dropping the next three games, narrowly avoiding becoming the second team in NHL history to lose the Stanley Cup Final after leading 3-0. The 1942 Detroit Red Wings remain the only team to suffer that fate.
The victory also denied Edmonton its first championship since 2006 and prevented Oilers captain Connor McDavid from securing his first Stanley Cup.
Across South Florida, fans packed watch parties, erupting in cheers as the Panthers clinched their long-awaited title.
