After winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers were honored at the White House on Thursday by President Donald J. Trump.
President Trump welcomed the team, recognizing their recent achievements. “It’s an honor to welcome to the White House the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers,” he said. “Unbelievable team. Unbelievable athletes and players. These men are responsible for the greatest feats in franchise history.”
The Panthers became just the 10th NHL franchise to secure back-to-back Stanley Cups. They also became only the third team in league history to win after starting each playoff series on the road, matching a playoff record with 10 victories away from home. In their final series against the Edmonton Oilers—whom they defeated in both 2024 and 2025—the Panthers led for an NHL-record 255 minutes and 49 seconds during the Stanley Cup Final.
In Game 6 of this year’s finals, which clinched their title with a 5-1 victory, Florida led for nearly all of regulation time.
Panthers owner Vincent Viola addressed fans during the ceremony: “I speak on behalf of every Florida Panthers fan all around the world, we’re not going to stop,” he said. “We’re not going to stop.”
White House visits by sports teams have been a tradition since the 19th century; for hockey teams, it began when the Pittsburgh Penguins visited in 1991.
This marks a return visit for Florida; they were last hosted at the White House following their first Stanley Cup win in February 2025.
Before Thursday’s event, players and staff toured several rooms inside the White House and viewed its historical artifacts and artwork.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov described his experience: “You get to do [a visit] a second time, so you know what to expect,” Barkov said. “You know all of the rooms. It’s still an amazing feeling to come here and see everything and see Mr. President and everything.”
During his remarks, President Trump mentioned several key players including Barkov, Brad Marchand, Sergei Bobrovsky, Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones and Sam Bennett.
Seth Jones reacted to being recognized: “Pretty cool,” Jones said of the shoutout. “Obviously, didn’t know it was coming.”
Sam Bennett made an impression during a handshake with President Trump: “He’s got a very powerful hand,” remarked Trump as attendees laughed.
Matthew Tkachuk spoke about playing through injuries during playoffs: “Winning, it takes a toll,” Tkachuk said while referencing offseason surgery recovery. “You pay a price for it, and each one of these members behind me, it really does take a village to make it happen. Each player played a very important part.”
As part of their appreciation gesture toward President Trump, Florida presented him with two Stanley Cup rings (from both championship years), an engraved golden hockey stick and a personalized jersey.
Following formalities in public areas of The White House—including another tour—players joined President Trump in visiting The Oval Office.
Jones commented further on seeing historic rooms firsthand: “Seeing the Oval Office, seeing the rooms that we were waiting in, seeing all the historical artifacts and things like that, it really brings you back to history class,” he said. “It’s amazing. A dream come true. The White House has so much aura.”
A video recording of Thursday’s ceremony is available online.