NHL Suspends Florida Panthers Vice Chairman Doug Cifu Over Social Media Posts

Douglas Cifu, vice chairman and alternate governor of the Florida Panthers, has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL following inappropriate and unacceptable posts on his now-deactivated social media account. The controversy arose after Cifu engaged in a heated exchange with a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, during which he referred to Canada as the '51st state' and made inflammatory comments involving the Israel-Hamas conflict. The NHL condemned Cifu's remarks and announced that he will have an in-person meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman at a later date. Cifu, also CEO of Virtu Financial and a co-founder alongside Panthers owner Vincent Viola, apologized for his comments, acknowledging they did not reflect the standards of the Panthers organization or the Viola family. His suspension bars him from any involvement with both the Panthers and the NHL until further notice. The incident has attracted significant attention due to Cifu's prominent role in hockey and business, as well as the ongoing playoff series between the Panthers and Maple Leafs.