For the second time in less than 12 months, the Florida Panthers visited the White House — and the trip followed similar beats to their first.
President Donald Trump, as he did in 2025, praised the team for winning the Stanley Cup, shouted out individual players, joked about “comebacks,” praised NHL commissioner Gary Bettman — who watched from the audience — and accepted a personalized Panthers jersey and a gold hockey stick. The Panthers also presented Trump with two championship rings.
“Comebacks are wonderful, actually. Pretty good, right, Gary?” Trump said to Bettman from the lectern. “Great job. I remember a long time ago when you got that job, and I said, ‘They picked the right guy.’”
In his 15-minute speech, Trump singled out Panthers owner Vincent Viola, general manager Bill Zito, coach Paul Maurice and players Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brad Marchand.
“I’ve never heard of four goals in one game,” Trump said to Reinhart, who managed that feat in Florida’s Cup-clinching Game 6 win over the Edmonton Oilers. “I’ve heard of a hat trick.”
Turning around to look at players and coaches standing behind him, Trump said to laughter: “Good-looking people, young, beautiful — I hate ‘em. You hate standing here with all this power behind you. But I’ve got power too, it’s called the United States military. I don’t care.”
He also noted that the Panthers were the 32nd consecutive American team to win the Stanley Cup. “We have a little competition with Canada,” Trump said after applause. “They’re great people, though. They’re great people. We’re doing much better than Canada, but that’s OK, right? We want them to do well, and they’re gonna do well.”
At various other points, Trump bragged about oil prices and the stock market, said he was removing criminals from the country and praised politicians in attendance.
After Trump spoke, it was Viola’s turn at the microphone. Viola was nominated to serve as Secretary of the Army in the first Trump administration before he withdrew from consideration, and Trump called him a “winner” from the lectern.
“I’m going to make it pretty clear that we’re honored to be here, and we’re honored to be here with you as the president,” Viola said. “I speak on behalf of every Florida Panther fan all over the world: We’re not gonna stop.”
After Viola came Panthers alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk, who along with Bettman and Wayne Gretzky was named to Trump’s council on fitness, sports and nutrition in 2025.
“The two Cups was pretty good, but that walk with you (into the White House East Room) might’ve trumped it all there. That was pretty amazing,” Tkachuk said to Trump.
“I want to say on behalf of the whole organization and mainly the players, we are so honored to be here. Being an American, I know I said it last year, but nothing beats this. I’m so proud to be an American so proud to be here with you and everybody else,” Tkachuk said.
“(Representing) you and the millions back here next month in the Olympics will be one of the highlights of my life, so thank you.”