Christian Pulisic reveals favorite NHL team and sends message to USMNT fans

U.S. men's national team captain Christian Pulisic spoke with Jamison Coyle and Jason Demers about the NHL, but also about what it means to represent his country.

Pulisic, 27, mentioned that he attended this past year's Stanley Cup Final in Florida and revealed he supported the Panthers, mainly because he has family there.

When asked how many hockey games he has attended in his life, the USMNT star said, "I would say probably less than 10, 15. Most of them were Hershey Bears games. But other than that, I want to check out a few more NHL games. Actually, I did go to the Stanley Cup Finals this past year. Got to see that in Florida, which was cool."

"Who'd you cheer for?" Pulisic was asked, and he responded, "I was going for the Panthers, obviously. You know, my family down there, so."

AC Milan's No. 11 also answered the question about the difference between playing in Serie A and playing with the USMNT. Pulisic took the opportunity to send a message to the fans.

"There's always pressure in some of the biggest competitions, you know, whether club or country, but I think when you play for your country, you always have that little extra sense of pride wearing and representing that team USA," said the Hershey, Pennsylvania native, via NHL Media.

"I mean, it's the best thing you can do. It's the most proud I am when I'm playing, so, yeah, similar, but definitely something special when you play for your country."

Christian Pulisic is ready to become a USMNT legend

Pulisic has everything it takes to be not only the USMNT captain at the upcoming World Cup, but also the team's on-field leader and a key player for coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Since arriving in Milan in 2023, he has done nothing but perform season after season. During this campaign, he has already scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 21 matches.

During the 2024-25 season, he scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in 50 games, and the campaign before that, he got similar numbers: 16 goals and 10 assists in 51 games. Objectively speaking, he is one of the most important players for the Rossoneri, if not the most important.

The 2026 World Cup, on home soil, will be a perfect opportunity for Pulisic to finally establish himself as a legend of American soccer, after years of not quite meeting expectations both in the Premier League with Chelsea, with Borussia Dortmund and on some, though fewer, occasions with the USMNT.