NHL suspends Panthers vice chairman Doug Cifu over 'inappropriate' comments on social media

The Associated Press

· Posted: May 13, 2025 12:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

The NHL has suspended Florida Panthers vice president and alternate politician Doug Cifu from immoderate engagement with the squad oregon the league, doing truthful successful effect to inappropriate posts connected Cifu's now-shuttered societal media account.

Cifu, successful posts connected X, got into a back-and-forth with a Toronto instrumentality connected Sunday night, the instrumentality starting the speech by comparing hits by Florida players successful this ongoing bid against the Maple Leafs to the struggle betwixt Israel and the Palestinians.

A station connected Cifu's relationship soon after, successful effect to the Toronto fan, referred to the instrumentality a "51st authorities anti semite loser." President Donald Trump has often said successful caller months that helium wants to spot Canada added to the United States arsenic the 51st state. That station was among those deleted not agelong afterward, and the relationship has since been suspended.

"The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league said successful a statement, archetypal reported by The Toronto Sun. "As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from immoderate engagement with the Club and the NHL."

Cifu — whose sanction is etched connected the Stanley Cup, portion of the radical that the Panthers included successful that tribute aft winning their archetypal rubric past twelvemonth — is CEO of Virtu Financial, a institution helium co-founded with Panthers owner, president and politician Vincent Viola successful 2008.

Cifu volition person an in-person gathering with commissioner Gary Bettman astatine immoderate point.

"My behaviour does not bespeak the standards of the Florida Panthers enactment and the Viola family," Cifu said successful a connection to Florida Hockey Now. "I sincerely apologize to each those affected by my comments. I americium committed to moving with the NHL to amend my actions."