WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump mostly stuck to sports and avoided any talk of tariffs as he celebrated the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at the White House on Monday.

The ceremony was delayed nearly an hour because Trump was talking to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about pausing tariffs on the country, as he did with Mexico.

Trump made repeated references to Panthers owner Vinnie Viola being a friend, adding that "he's a champion at everything he's ever done." Viola was briefly Trump's nominee to be Secretary of the Army in 2016 before withdrawing from consideration, and the Panthers play in Sunrise, Florida, 48 miles away from one of Trump's residences in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

In his speech to the club, Trump mentioned the run to the title and how he watched "the team get better and better and better," referring to the Panthers as "real champions" for their "tremendous championship."

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

The Panthers won the Stanley Cup for the first time in June, outlasting the Edmonton Oilers in seven games, and have made back-to-back appearances in the Cup finals. In 2023, the Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, a series that Trump made note of. In fact, he praised the Panthers for going from losing the finals to winning the finals in a 12-month span, 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."

Tkachuk, the only U.S.-born player on the team this season who was part of the Cup run, thanked Trump for hosting the Panthers, adding that "being one of the few Americans who loves this country so much, this is such an incredible day for myself. You wake up every day really grateful to be an American, so thank you."

The Panthers scheduled their White House visit in advance of their meeting Tuesday night against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.