NHL suspends Florida Panthers minority owner for offensive social media posts

The NHL has suspended Florida Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu for making a series of offensive social media posts Sunday night, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reported Tuesday. Cifu is barred from having any involvement with the team, as well as the league, and will have an in-person meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at a later date.

Cifu, vice chairman and alternate governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, the Panthers, FLA Live Arena and SSE’s additional operating entities, posted the offensive messages as part of a back-and-forth with a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Florida and Toronto are currently in the midst of an intense best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 4 took place Sunday night in Sunrise, the Panthers recording a 2-0 shutout to bring the series level. The series has featured several big hits from Florida players on Toronto skaters, as well as a Game 1 collision between Panthers forward Sam Bennett and Maple Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz that resulted in the latter experiencing concussion symptoms and missing the next three games.

Florida Panthers’ Doug Cifu engages in social media back-and-forth with Toronto Maple Leafs fan

A Maple Leafs fan with the X handle “Dr. Grizzo” wrote the following: “Hey, what’s worse, using headshots to win a series or using starvation as a weapon to win a war?”

Cifu, whose X feed contained messages of support for Israel, responded, “Actually being a whiny dope anti-semite is clearly worse. Loser.”

Dr. Grizzo then responded: “Not approving of using starvation as a weapon makes me a bigot?” That prompted another response from Cifu: “Eat sh*t 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever last Hamas rat is eliminated.” That was in reference to President Donald Trump‘s repeated remarks in recent months about making Canada the 51st state.

On Monday, Cifu made his X account private. He later deactivated it. Cifu released a statement to Florida Hockey Now:

“Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,” the statement read. “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 series between Atlantic Division foes shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday. Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.