Washington, DC – President Donald Trump hosted the Florida Panthers at the White House on Thursday in recognition of the team’s second consecutive Stanley Cup championship, continuing a long-standing tradition of honoring title-winning sports teams in Washington.
The Panthers earned their latest championship by defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, winning the series in six games and cementing their place as one of the NHL’s most dominant teams in recent years.
The victory marked a rare repeat championship and represented a major milestone for a franchise that joined the league in 1993.
During the ceremony, players, coaches, and team executives gathered in one of the White House’s main reception rooms as Trump praised the organization’s performance, resilience, and consistency throughout the season and postseason.
Team leaders, including captain Aleksander Barkov and star forward Matthew Tkachuk, presented the president with a custom Florida Panthers jersey bearing his name and the number 47, along with commemorative Stanley Cup rings and a gold-colored hockey stick.
Trump briefly displayed the items and congratulated the team’s ownership group, front office, and coaching staff for building a roster capable of sustaining championship success.
He also highlighted the Panthers’ role in expanding the profile of hockey in Florida and across the southern United States.
The visit took place during a road trip for the team, which traveled to Washington before continuing on to its next regular-season game.
After the public event, several players and team officials were given a private tour of the Oval Office.
Photographs from the visit show the Panthers posing with the president and staff, marking the occasion as another chapter in the franchise’s championship era.