Trump sticks to hockey, avoids tariff talks during Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers' visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump mostly stuck to sports and avoided any talk of tariffs as he celebrated the NHL’s defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at the White House on Monday.

Trump had to delay the ceremony nearly an hour while he talked to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the tariffs. Eventually, with the Stanley Cup placed on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump took pictures with the team, chatted with players and Panthers owner Vinnie Viola — who he considers a good friend — and was gifted a couple of jerseys and a golden hockey stick.

He praised the Panthers for going from losing in the final in 2023 to Vegas to winning the first title in franchise history, jokingly comparing it to his path back to the White House.

“You gave the fans one of the most riveting comebacks in NHL history, in any sport history,” Trump said. “I don’t know anything about a comeback, but they tell me it’s very nice.”

The Panthers had a red customized “Trump 45-47” jersey framed for him. He was also presented a “Trump 47” jersey and the gold stick by Viola, Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov and American forward Matthew Tkachuk.

“We had to go with 45 and 47, right?” Viola said to Trump. “We brought a cohort, to use a term from the military, of champions to visit a champion. And your kindness and the hospitality displayed by your staff is a simple reflection of the excellence that you demand in people, and we were the beneficiaries of it today.”

Trump briefly nominated Viola to be his Secretary of the Army in 2016 before Viola withdrew his name from consideration.

“He’s a champion at everything he’s ever done, loves the military,” Trump said.

Trump singled out goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, forward Anton Lundell and Game 7 goal-scorers Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, as well as Florida coach Paul Maurice and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who has been in that job for over 30 years after starting in professional sports with the NBA.

“He does a great job,” Trump said of Bettman. “Knew him for a long while, when he was in another league. But this has been incredible the job you’ve done.”

Minutes after the ceremony, Trump announced he had agreed to pause tariffs on Canada, in addition to Mexico, for 30 days.

Tkachuk, the only U.S.-born player left on the team this season, thanked Trump for hosting the Panthers.

“Being one of the few Americans who loves this country so much, this is such an incredible day for myself,” Tkachuk said. “You wake up every day really grateful to be an American, so thank you.”

The Panthers made their White House visit before facing the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is pursuing the league's career goals record held by Wayne Gretzky, who Trump said he spoke with recently.

“Do you know Wayne Gretzky?” Trump said. “Did you ever hear of Wayne Gretzky? Isn’t that the ‘Great One?’ And he was telling me about a gentleman that protected him named Marty McSorley. You know that? You ever hear of him? I don’t know if he was a good hockey player, but they say he was very tough. Wayne was saying he was great as far as he was concerned.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL