WASHINGTON, DC – The Cats are back in the nation’s capital.
The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, will return to the White House to be honored by President Donald J. Trump on January 15th for a special visit.
A storied tradition has seen sports teams visit the White House since the 19th century, with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the first Stanley Cup championship in 1991.
The Panthers became the 10th franchise in NHL history to win back-to-back championships, and on June 17, 2025, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, they achieved a decisive 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, who they also lost to in 2024, to win their second straight Stanley Cup.
Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, and Carter Verhey each scored a team-high 23 points in Florida’s playoff game, with Reinhart having a standout performance in Game 6, becoming the second player in history to score four goals in a cup game.
Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs, scored 15 goals for the Panthers. Aleksander Barkov, the first European-born player to captain a team in the Stanley Cup, scored 22 points.
Teaming up to form perhaps the most formidable third line in playoff history, key trade deadline acquisitions Brad Marchado, Anton Randle and Eetu Luostarinen combined for 21 goals and 36 assists, posting an impressive +47 plus/minus rating during the playoffs.
During that time, Sergei Bobrovsky had a record of 16 wins, 7 losses, and a save percentage of .914.
Under the guidance of President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito and Head Coach Paul Maurice, the Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past three seasons, with the 2024 and 2025 championships being the franchise’s first.
During last year’s visit to the White House, the Panthers, whose visit follows the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles in April 2025, presented Trump with a gold hockey stick and a framed jersey with numbers 45 and 47 on the back to commemorate President Trump’s second non-consecutive term in office.
Panthers players and staff also received a private tour of the historic Oval Office.
Forward Matthew Tkachuk said after the team’s first visit to the White House in February 2025, “I grew up watching the highlights and bits and pieces of teams going (to the White House) after winning championships, but I never thought it would be me one day.” “It’s the culmination of a great year to finally be here after winning the Stanley Cup.”
A stream of the event will be published here once the ceremony begins at approximately 4:00 PM ET.
