The NHL has suspended Florida Panthers vice chairman and alternate governor Doug Cifu from any involvement with the group or the league, doing so in response to inappropriate posts on Cifu’s now-shuttered social media account.
Cifu, in posts on X, acquired right into a back-and-forth with a Toronto fan on Sunday evening, the fan beginning the change by evaluating hits by Florida gamers on this ongoing series towards the Maple Leafs to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
A put up on Cifu’s account shortly after, in response to the Toronto fan, referred to the fan as a “51st state anti semite loser.” President Donald Trump has usually stated in latest months that he needs to see Canada added to the USA because the 51st state. That put up was amongst these deleted not lengthy afterward, and the account has since been suspended.
“The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu’s X posts have been unacceptable and inappropriate,” the league stated in a press release, first reported by The Toronto Solar. “Consequently, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Membership and the NHL.”
Cifu — whose title is etched on the Stanley Cup, a part of the group that the Panthers included in that tribute after successful their first title final yr — is CEO of Virtu Monetary, an organization he co-founded with Panthers proprietor, chairman and governor Vincent Viola in 2008.
Cifu may have an in-person assembly with Commissioner Gary Bettman in some unspecified time in the future.
“My conduct doesn’t mirror the requirements of the Florida Panthers group and the Viola household,” Cifu stated in a press release to Florida Hockey Now. “I sincerely apologize to all these affected by my feedback. I’m dedicated to working with the NHL to amend my actions.”
Eliot J. Schechter by way of Getty Pictures
