NHL Suspends Panthers Executive Douglas Cifu for Offensive Social Media Comments

Sunrise, Florida — Douglas Cifu, the vice chairman and minority owner of the Florida Panthers, has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL after making inappropriate comments on social media Sunday night.

The comments came after the Panthers’ 2-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, evening their playoff series at 2-2. Cifu allegedly reacted to a post from a Toronto fan, Dr. Grizzo, who compared controversial hits made by Panthers players to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Cifu’s response included: “Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever last Hamas rat is eliminated,” which sparked outrage.

The response from the fan questioned the morality of both headshots in hockey and using starvation as a weapon in warfare. Cifu replied, calling the fan a “whiny dope anti-semite,” escalating the exchange further.

Following the incident, Cifu’s account became private, and he later deactivated it altogether. The NHL issued a statement confirming Cifu’s suspension, stating, “The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu’s X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate. An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the Commissioner at a date to be determined.”

Cifu, also the CEO of Virtu Financial, co-founded the firm in 2008 with Panthers owner Vincent Viola. He has a history of making disparaging comments online. In a previous post, Cifu referred to another user as a “sad creepy loser,” indicating a pattern of online behavior that has drawn scrutiny.

In a statement released days after the incident, Cifu said, “Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media. My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family. I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions.”

The Panthers, last season’s Stanley Cup champions, are facing critical games ahead as they aim to advance in the playoffs.