Florida Panthers praise Trump during White House visit: 'Nothing beats this'

The Stanley Cup champions were not shy about showing their support for President Trump.

The Florida Panthers visited the White House to celebrate their second-straight league championship over the Edmonton Oilers.

'I'm so proud to be an American, and I'm so proud to be here with you.'

Trump praised the team on Thursday, shaking hands and listing accomplishments as he remarked that many of the players and staff would be participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, many of them representing the United States.

Before accepting gifts from the players, the president introduced team owner and billionaire Vincent Viola, who made the Panthers' support for the administration indisputable.

"I'm going to make it pretty clear that we are honored to be here, we are honored to be here with you as the president," Viola said, keeping his words short.

Then star player Matthew Tkachuk took the podium to relish being an American at the White House.

"I want to say on behalf of the whole organization, mainly the players, we are so honored to be here. Being an American ... nothing beats this, I'm so proud to be an American, and I'm so proud to be here with you," Tkachuk said, motioning to Trump.

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Tkachuk noted the pain and effort that is required to win a Stanley Cup, stating, "Winning, it takes a toll, you pay a price for it."

The 28-year-old certainly relished the moment and said he looked forward to wearing the red, white, and blue at the Winter Olympics.

"Representing you and the millions back here, next month at the Olympics, will be one of the highlights of my life as well," he told the president.

Defenseman Seth Jones then presented President Trump with a Stanley Cup ring, captain Aleksander "Sasha" Barkov gave the president a No. 47 jersey, and Tkachuk presented Trump with a golden hockey stick.

As the team dispersed, an orchestral version of "We Are the Champions" by Queen played as Trump walked off the stage.

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Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Panthers kept the Stanley Cup out of the hands of Canadian teams for yet another year with their second-straight win over the Oilers and their third-straight appearance in the finals.

No Canadian team has won the cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. Interestingly Florida's other team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, appeared in three-straight finals before the Panthers and won two also.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who is widely regarded as the best player in the world, has split fans in recent years for defending the highly controversial gay pride nights in the NHL.

"It's not my call, but obviously it’s disappointing," he said in 2023. "I certainly can't speak for every organization. ... I know in Edmonton, we were one of the first teams to use the Pride tape," the star boasted.

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