NHL Suspends Florida Panthers Minority Owner Over Offensive Social Media Posts

The NHL has indefinitely suspended Doug Cifu, minority owner and vice chairman of the Florida Panthers, following offensive social media posts made during a heated exchange with a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The exchange, which began with comments on the playoff series, escalated to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Cifu making inflammatory remarks including calling Canada the '51st state' and using derogatory language toward critics. The NHL deemed Cifu's posts 'unacceptable and inappropriate,' barring him from any involvement with the team or league pending a meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman. Cifu apologized, stating his behavior did not reflect the values of the Panthers organization or the Viola family and expressed commitment to rectifying his actions. The controversy arose amid a highly physical playoff series marked by contentious hits between the Panthers and Maple Leafs. Cifu, who co-founded Virtu Financial with Panthers owner Vincent Viola, had his social media account deactivated shortly after the incident.