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4h ago

Trump Welcomes Back-to-Back Champion Panthers to White House, Receives No. 47 Jersey and Rings

A highly personalized East Room ceremony drew swift online scrutiny of the team’s coordinated red‑tie look.

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US President Donald Trump poses with a hockey stick presented to him by players of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League, winners of the 2025 Stanley Cup, during a congratulatory ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on January 15, 2026. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Players Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov and Seth Jones presented President Trump with a custom No. 47 jersey, a golden hockey stick and the Panthers’ 2024 and 2025 championship rings.
  • Trump put on one of the rings for cameras, waved the gold stick and joked that it was "good for slashing."
  • In prepared remarks, Trump praised the franchise’s achievements and said, "You denied Canada the Stanley Cup."
  • The roster’s matching navy suits, white shirts, red ties and flag pins drew immediate social-media criticism and debate over political optics, as reported by multiple outlets.
  • The visit continued the tradition of White House honors for champions, and the Panthers departed to play at Carolina on Friday before facing Washington on Saturday.