The NHL has suspended Florida Panthers vice chairman and alternate governor Doug Cifu from any involvement with the team or league in response to posts deemed "inappropriate" on his X social media account.
Cifu got into a social media back-and-forth with a Toronto fan on Sunday night, with the fan starting the exchange by comparing hits by Florida players in their playoff series against the Maple Leafs to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Shortly after, a post on Cifu's account referred to the fan as a "51st state anti semite loser."
President Donald Trump has often said in recent months that he wants to see Canada added to the United States as the 51st state. That post was among those deleted soon afterward, and the account has since been suspended.
"The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league said in a statement, first reported by The Toronto Sun. "As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL."
Cifu is CEO of Virtu Financial, a company he co-founded with Panthers owner, chairman and governor Vincent Viola in 2008.
Cifu, whose name is etched on the Stanley Cup after the Panthers won their first title last season, will have an in-person meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman at some point.
"My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family," Cifu said in a statement to Florida Hockey Now. "I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions."
The Maple Leafs and Panthers have each won two games in their best-of-seven second-round playoff series. Toronto will host Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Panthers have of reputation of being a very physical playoff team.
In the first round, defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for two games after a head shot on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in Game 4. Hagel had just returned from a one-game suspension for a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2.
In Game 3, Florida star Matthew Tkachuk drew a penalty for a late hit on Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel but was not suspended. In Game 4, Florida’s Niko Mikkola was ejected for boarding Tampa Bay's Zemgus Girgensons.
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