President Donald Trump hosted the Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers on Monday after making major deals with Mexico and Canada to delay tariffs.
He congratulated the team on its success in the 2023-2024 season, which culminated in a Game 7 victory at home against the Edmonton Oilers last June.
“The entire team, congratulations on your first-ever Stanley Cup win,” Trump said. “And you had a couple of really close calls, and I watched the team get better and better and better, and then they won.”
Much of the Panthers roster showed up to the White House in maroon or red ties, to the pleasure of the president.
Trump is chatting up the Stanley Cup champions - the Florida Panthers - and they are having the time of their LIVES.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 3, 2025
They are ALL wearing red ties.
Trump: "I love all these ties. This is so cute. Look at them, I walked in, I said - I think they like Trump. I like then." pic.twitter.com/tlO7m4F1nO
“I love all these ties. This is so cute, these people,” Trump said, drawing laughs from the players. “Look at them. I walked in, I said, ‘I think they like Trump.'”
Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov and star forward Matthew Tkachuk presented Trump with a jersey bearing the number 47. The team also gifted Trump a jersey with the numbers 45-47, marking both of his presidencies. Tkachuk expressed how proud he is to be an American while speaking from Trump’s podium.
Matthew Tkachuk and Sasha Barkov gift President Trump a jersey and hockey stick. pic.twitter.com/jTvsaaYSCY
— Daniel Baldwin (@baldwin_daniel_) February 3, 2025
“Thank you, Mr. President, for having us today; we greatly appreciate it,” he told Trump, adding, “I’m really grateful to be an American.”
Panthers Forward Matthew Tkachuk at the White House: “I’m really grateful to be an American.” pic.twitter.com/hMfdPbWouy
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 3, 2025
The Panthers are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference with several months to go in the 2024-2025 season as they seek back-to-back titles.
Their 2023-2024 campaign saw them breeze through the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs, followed by 4-2 series victories over the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers in the conference semi-finals and the conference finals.
Trump met with the team after reaching agreements with Mexico and Canada to pause implementing tariffs he signed on Saturday. As part of the agreements, Mexico is sending 10,000 troops to the southern border to stop the flow of fentanyl and drugs across the border, while Canada is ramping up security efforts at the northern border.
