Florida Panthers exec appears to post vulgar rant on X, calling Canada 51st state
A high-ranking Florida Panthers executive appears to have made several disturbing comments on social media Sunday night after watching his team defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their NHL playoff series.
Douglas Cifu, the team's vice chairman, partner and alternate governor, appeared to take shots at a Leafs fan and Canada in general, while commenting on the conflict between Israel and Palestine in screenshots taken of posts that have now been made private.
'Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever (sic) last Hamas rat is eliminated,' the X account allegedly belonging to Cifu posted.
The post was a reply to @mrgrozz, a Toronto sports fan account that has bragged about trolling sports team owners in the past.
In the original post which has been reposted as a screenshot, Dr. Grizzo compared the controversial hits by the NHL team to the ongoing conflict in the middle east.
'Hey what's worse, using headshots to win a series or using starvation as a weapon to win a war?' the post on X read.
Cifu allegedly replied, writing: 'Actually being a whiny dope anti semite is clearly worse. Loser.'
'Not approving of using starvation as a weapon makes me a bigot? Got it,' Dr. Grizzo replied. 'Get some sleep man, market opens early tomorrow. Best of luck frontrunning Robinhood traders you MAGA d*** licker.'
After the exchange, the account appearing to belong to Cifu went private. The account was later deactivated.
The NHL came down on Cifu on Monday night, suspending him indefinitely from any and all involvement with the team and the league.
'The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate. As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL,' the league said in a statement. 'An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the Commissioner at a date to be determined.'
The bio for the account with the handle @Dougielarge reads 'Partner Cup Champ Florida Panthers and CEO of Virtu Financial (VIRT). Shill Team 6 Leader. All tweets mine.'
This is followed by the word 'Israel' and five Israel flag emojis.
This is not the first time that Cifu has seemingly been caught making disparaging comments online.
In a post from the same account on X, Cifu allegedly made disparaging comments about a user by calling them a 'sad creepy loser' and inferring they are 'special needs.'
'Dude get a life,' the post from March 2024 appears to begin, as shown in a screenshot.
'You sad sack of s***. I'd call your pathetic school district and let them know what a sad creepy loser you are but I'm sure you're special needs and part of a protected class.
'Enjoy your poverty. Dumb f***.'
According to the Panthers team website, Cifu also is the CEO of Virtu Financial, which the site boasts is 'one of the nation's foremost providers of financial technology products and services.'
Cifu co-founded Virtu with Panthers owner Vincent J. Viola in 2008.
SIMMONS: Why don't Matthews and Marner have more Wendel and Gilmour in them?
Leafs' Max Domi fined for hit on Panthers' Barkov as harsh words and nasty deeds continue
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
19 minutes ago
- USA Today
Unlock Up to $300 in Bonus Bets for Stanley Cup, MLB & More
Fanatics Sportsbook Promo | Unlock Up to $300 in Bonus Bets for Stanley Cup, MLB & More The Panthers begin their quest for a second straight Stanley Cup tonight, while the Oilers look to rebound from their loss to Florida in last season's Final. It marks a perfect opportunity to get started with the Fanatics Sportsbook promo and earn either up to $300 in bonus bets or $1,000 in No Sweat Bets. The sportsbook promos offered by Fanatics Sportsbook vary by state. For example, if you're in Michigan, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, you're guaranteed $300 in bonus bets just for placing $30 in first bets in a three-day span. If you're in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia, you'll collect $250 in bonus bets when you make $50 in first bets over a five-day stretch. Bettors in New York are rewarded with a 100% profit boost token they can attach to any bet on each of their first 10 days after signup. And bettors everywhere (except New York) can select the flagship Fanatics Sportsbook welcome offer that hands you as much as $1,000 in No Sweat Bets over 10 days. The Oilers nearly pulled off the impossible last year, forcing a Game 7 after losing the first three games of the series. But Florida held on to win the deciding game 2-1 in South Florida to capture the its first Cup. Edmonton has the home-ice advantage this year and is -130 to win both the opener and the series on Fanatics Sportsbook and many other sports betting apps. If you want to grab a fistful of bonus bets or No Sweat Bets while hardly having to open your wallet to do it, then now's the time to hit the nearest BET NOW button and sign up with the Fanatics Sportsbook promo. It'll take you no more than two minutes. Fanatics Sportsbook Promo: Up to $300 Bonus or $1000 in No Sweat Bets 📱 Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code Click Here 🤑 Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Bet $30, Get $300 (MI, NJ, PA) / Bet $50, Get $250 (AZ, CO, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, NC, OH, TN, VA, WV) / Up to $1000 in No Sweat Bets (all states but NY) / 100% Profit Boost Daily for 10 Days (NY) ✅ Terms and conditions New customers 21 and older in AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY; 1x playthrough on bonus bets ✔️ Last verified June 4, 2025 While the NHL's championship series is expected to be close, the oddsmakers aren't as optimistic about the NBA Finals, which begin tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are -425 Game 1 favorites over the Pacers (+330) and are -700 picks in the series. The Pacers, however, have been underdogs in each series, needing just five games to beat the Bucks and top-seeded Cavaliers and six games to beat the Knicks in the ECF. Keep that in mind when you place your bets after signing up for the Fanatics Sportsbook promo. Best Bets with the Fanatics Sportsbook Promo: Wednesday, June 4 MLB: Guardians at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. Guardians at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. MLB: Royals at Cardinals, 7:45 p.m. Royals at Cardinals, 7:45 p.m. MLB: Padres at Giants, 9:45 p.m. Padres at Giants, 9:45 p.m. MLB: Mets at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Mets at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Tennis: French Open, Today-Sunday Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka would have made for a dream French Open final. Instead, we'll have to settle for tomorrow morning's semifinal matchup from Roland Garros. Sabalenka is the world's top player, but Swiatek owns the French Open clay and is bidding to become this first woman in the Open era to win four straight Suzanne Lenglen Cups. Sabalenka has not dropped set in the tournament thus far but is an ever-so-slight -110 underdog to Swiatek (-115), who has won 26 straight French Open matches. Swiatek has won eight of 12 head-to-head matchups between the two. She was seeded fifth at Roland Garros after her world ranking fell from No. 2 to No. 5 following an early exit from a tournament in Rome last month. When you sign up with the Fanatics Sportsbook promo, you can play your bonus bets or No Sweat Bets on any sport you want. To activate your account, click the nearest BET NOW button and take two minutes to zip through easy questions. It's that simple. How to Unlock the Fanatic Sports Promo Welcome Offers In just a few simple steps you can lock in your Fanatics Sportsbook promo. From your desktop, click any BET NOW link to be redirected to the Fanatics Sportsbook welcome page. Click on 'Get Started,' which will land you on a QR code to scan with your phone to download the app. If you are on your phone, you will just be directed to download the app. Answer a few basic personal questions to be set up with an account then verify your identity, age and location. You won't need any bonus code to claim the Fanatics Sportsbook promo as tapping BET NOW locks it in. Select any banking method to make at least a $10 initial deposit. Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Key Terms & Conditions The Fanatics Sportsbook promo bet-and-get offers require a $10 qualifying bet on odds of -500 or better. In MI, NJ and PA, that qualifying bet returns $100 in bonus bets each day for three days. In AZ, CO, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, NC, OH, TN, VA and WV, the $10 qualifying wager earns $50 in bonus bets each day for five days. If you choose either of these options, you will be automatically opted-in on Day 1 but you must opt-in manually on the subsequent days. Those in DC, IA, KS, KY, VT and WY, plus those in the above listed states, can get the No Sweat Bets offer instead of the bet-and-get offer can chose any bet at -500 odds or better to be your No Sweat Bet for up to $100 daily over a 10-day period. If that wager settles as a loss, Fanatics will provide a bonus-bet refund. Bettors in New York get a 100% profit boost daily for 10 days. Bonus bets provided by any of the Fanatics Sportsbook promo offers will be deposited within 72 hours of placing your qualifying bet. Divide up your bonus bets however you choose but use them within seven days of being deposited before they expire.
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
DraftKings Promo Code: Get $300 Bonus For MLB, Stanley Cup Final Game 1
Sign up for the latest DraftKings promo code offer in time for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Create a new account and place a $5 bet on Oilers-Panthers or any other game. New users who start with a win on this first bet will receive $300 in bonuses. The NHL is the top option on the market for players on Wednesday night. New players can apply this 60-to-1 odds boost on the Edmonton Oilers or Florida Panthers in this matchup or almost any other game this week. The NBA Finals start on Thursday night and there are MLB games every day this time of year. Take advantage of this DraftKings promo in time for all the action this week. DraftKings Promo Code Starts Players With $300 Bonus This DraftKings promo will set players up to start with a low-risk wager. Any $5 winning bet will be enough to secure these bonuses. New users will receive 12 $25 bonus bets that apply to everything from the NBA and MLB to the NHL and tennis. In other words, there are plenty of options available. Players will have access to these bonuses for up to one week after the original wager settles. This offer applies to bets of -500 or longer odds. A new player who bets $5 on a -300 favorite and wins will receive the $300 bonus. This DraftKings promo can boost the odds on teams in the NHL, MLB, NBA and more. There should be something for every sports fan during June. Stanley Cup Final Game 1: Oilers vs. Panthers The Stanley Cup Final is officially here, and it's a rematch of last year's matchup. The Panthers came out on top in seven games, but this could be a different story. Edmonton (-120) is a slight favorite over Florida (+100) going into the series. Not to mention, the Oilers have home-ice advantage this time. DraftKings Sportsbook offers myriad ways to get in on the action during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Start with this $300 bonus before checking out the other in-app offers. Combine multiple wagers into a same game parlay on Game 1. Players can grab a same game parlay boost to increase any potential winnings. How To Redeem This DraftKings Promo Code Offer It's important to highlight the fact that players can sign up without entering a promo code. Just set up a new user profile and start filling out the required fields. This will include name, date of birth, email address, mailing address and other pertinent information. Depositing cash using any of the available payment methods is the next step. All it takes is a $5 deposit using instant bank transfer, credit/debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or any of the other available payment methods. Finally, place a $5 bet on the NBA, NHL, MLB or any other sport this week. Anyone who picks a winner on that first bet will receive 12 $25 bonus bets. From there, start flipping these bonus bets to use them on any game. 21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
NBC Sports
34 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
NASCAR to have podium celebrations for top three finishers in Cup, Xfinity races in Mexico
For the first time after a Cup points race, NASCAR will honor the top three finishers with a podium celebration next weekend in Mexico. While podium celebrations are common in other forms of racing, including Formula One and IndyCar, NASCAR celebrates only the winner in its U.S.-based series. The only time NASCAR has had a podium celebration in Cup was for the Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum exhibition races from 2022-24. That was done in a nod to the historic venue having hosted the Olympics. The top three drivers received medals — gold for the winner, silver for second place and bronze for third place. NASCAR will have podium celebrations for the top three finishers for its Xfinity Series and Cup Series races June 14-15 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. That weekend will represent the first international Cup points race since 1958. 'For this historic weekend, it felt appropriate to recognize the heritage of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and give a nod to the traditional international motorsports celebrations,' NASCAR stated to NBC Sports. 'There are currently no plans for podium-style celebrations following the Mexico City event.' The NASCAR Mexico Series also will have podium finishes after its races June 13-14 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as it does for all its races. Dustin Long, While podium finishes are not an official statistic for NASCAR, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson each have had the most top-three finishes this season. Both have six in the first 14 Cup points races of the year. Bell has three wins, two runner-ups and a third-place finish. Larson has three wins, one runner-up and two third-place results. Denny Hamlin and William Byron are next with five podium results each. Hamlin has two wins, two runner-ups and a third-place finish. Byron has one win, three runner-ups and a third-place result. Ryan Blaney, who won last weekend's race at Nashville Superspeedway. completes the top five. He has three podiums, scoring one win, no runner-up results and two third-place finishes.
