Donald Trump earmarks "phenomenal" Panthers $70,000,000 goalie for NHL Hall of Fame

The 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers visited the White House on Monday, hosted by the newly re-elected President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Trump welcomed the championship team into the Oval Office in celebration of their fantastic accomplishment last season.

In his speech, the US President praised goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for his outstanding performance during the Stanley Cup run.

"The series was a battle from start to finish. It made it actually much more interesting. Goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, he was incredible. I've got to see him..." Trump said. (7:58 onwards)

"How good is he? Hall of Fame? How old are you? Boy, I tell you, you were unbelievable. There was a lot of pressure. And I mean that Game 7, that was great. Great job. On behalf of everybody that watched, thank you Bob. It was nothing short of phenomenal." Trump added.

Sergei Bobrovsky is in the sixth season of a seven-year, $70,000,000 contract signed with Florida as a UFA in 2019. The 36-year-old went 16-8-0, with a 2.32 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and two shutouts during the 2023-24 postseason.

Star players Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk then presented Donald Trump with a goal stick and a custom Trump Florida Panthers jersey. Panthers reporter Jameson Olive shared the image on X.

Recent trade wars between Canada and the United States have sparked booing during the National Anthem at some NHL games. As Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman said, the battle when the two countries meet at the Four Nations Face-Off tournament will be intense.

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The Florida Panthers are back atop the Atlantic division

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice watches from the bench during an NHL game. (Credits: IMAGN)

The Florida Panthers appear poised to make a third consecutive run to the Stanley Cup Finals. A recent 7-3-0 hot stretch of play has seen the Panthers leap over the Toronto Maple Leafs (4-6-0) for first place in the Atlantic division.

With a 32-19-3 record, Florida has accumulated 67 points in 54 games. They hold a three-point cushion on Toronto (31-19-2; 64 points), though the Leafs have two games in hand.

The two teams will face each other three more times before the end of the regular season, so the race for the division is far from finished.

The Cats are back in action on Tuesday night in Washington for a matchup with the Capitals. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at Capital One Arena.