Panthers stop by the White House and tour the Oval Office on their way to North Carolina

Not so many NHL teams can boast of annual visits to the White House and greetings from the U.S. president. The Florida Panthers can. On Jan.15, the back-to-back NHL champions attended the White House for the second consecutive year. 

History Lane

On Feb.3, 2025, President Trump welcomed the Florida Panthers to the White House. They presented him with a golden stick and a few jerseys, enjoyed a tour of the Oval Office, and took pictures. Matthew Tkachuk gained most of that special visit and was later named to Trump’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. 

A year later, Tkachuk, who will represent Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, looked even more confident as he delivered his speech before his teammates, high-caliber politicians, government officials, and the President himself. Not only did Donald Trump get a new, customized #47 Florida Panthers jersey, but he also got another golden stick and two Stanley Cup rings. It’s hard to say who had a sweeter treatment: the Panthers with their second consecutive White House congratulatory ceremony or the U.S. President who can now start a mini hockey museum with two golden hockey sticks, two Stanley Cup rings, and more jerseys from the Cats.

In fact, Donald Trump has three golden hockey sticks. He received one from the 2018 Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, in 2019 and two from the Florida Panthers in 2025 and 2026. The Tampa Bay Lightning (2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup winners) and the Vegas Golden Knights (2023) presented their honorary gifts to then-President Joe Biden in 2022 and 2023, respectively. If both presidents had an internal hockey competition, the score would be 3-3. Interestingly, the milestone sticks given to American presidents are made by Logan Sports Group in Canada. 

The same company works with the NHL clubs to produce milestone items. Brad Marchand (1,000 NHL points), Dmitry Kulikov (1,000 NHL games), and Jeff Petry (1,000 NHL games) are among the recent award recipients on the Panthers’ roster. 

Traditionally, gifts to American presidents are exhibited in their libraries and museums to showcase history and share special moments with the public. So, as the Florida Panthers continue to build hockey culture in the Sunshine State, their achievements are being added to national history as well.

Back to Reality

Before visiting the White House last year, the NHL champions were third with 67 points behind the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference. This year, the Cats arrived in the nation’s capital with pride in their hearts and two Stanley Cup rings on their resume, but only 12th with 51 points in the conference. There is a long way ahead of them to reach the 2025-2026 playoffs. 

The Panthers will conclude the longest road trip of the season with six away games by Sunday, Jan.18. They had a 2-2 record in the first four matchups, losing in Toronto (4-1) and Montreal (6-2) before recording first road wins in the New Year 2026 against the Senators (3-2) and Buffalo (4-3). The team had a chance to stay home for a few days and practice in Fort Lauderdale before flying to Washington, DC, on their way to Raleigh, NC. It looks like a very intense schedule.

Roster Check-up 

Marchand, Jones, Barkov, Tkachuk, Kulikov, Gadjovich, Schwindt, and Nosek have injuries, varying from day-to-day to long-term IR. The team hasn’t played a single game in its optimal condition this season. 

What keeps the Panthers rolling is their top-notch discipline and uncompromising game plan. Paul Maurice expects every single one of his players to be devoted to the game and team in every corner. There is no “I” on this roster. It’s kind of a reminder of the popular “Bad Boys” line: “We ride together, we die together. Bad boys for life.” Technically, the players have different ice time distributions. But everyone’s role, big or small, is treated as equally important. Surely, the Panthers’ defense lacks depth. And with their energy-intensive style, injuries happen. 

Veteran blueliners Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, and Seth Jones play at least 21 minutes on a regular game day. With Jones on the IR list, Ekblad and Forsling carry a heavier load. But it’s another outstanding quality of the team: interchangeability across individual positions. Mikkola and Balinskis, as the second D-unit right now, know that they must provide vital support to the first pairing, Top-6 forwards, and be ready to cover for the Bottom-6. It's an "all in" mentality with the Cats.

The 38-year-old Jeff Petry doesn’t get as much ice time as he used to in earlier days of his long-standing career, but his experience and cold mind are what’s valuable to the team and his new partner, Donovan Sebrango. Picked up from the waivers in October 2025, Sebrango previously played four games split between two seasons for the Ottawa Senators. In the last four years, the 24-year-old blueliner has spent his professional time in the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. The Panthers are the team that, at this point, has given him the most chances. He registered two assists in 17 games this season and gets on average around 12 minutes of ice time. 

After 45 contests, the Florida Panthers are seventh in the division, 12th in the East, and 10 points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning. They are just three points away from the sixth Buffalo Sabres (4th in the division and 6th in the conference). So, standings are very tight in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. There is room for improvement and a playoff push. Everyone needs to stay healthy.