Latest news with #Cifu
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Panthers Minority Owner Will Not Attend Stanley Cup Final
Doug Cifu, a minority owner of the NHL's Florida Panthers whose name is engraved on the Stanley Cup, remains in the league's penalty box. Cifu was suspended by the NHL over his social media activity after Game 4 of the Panthers' second-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 11. When asked via email by Sportico Thursday if he'll be able to attend the Stanley Cup Finals games against the Edmonton Oilers, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote, 'He is not currently permitted to attend games as a function of his suspension. So I guess the answer is no.' Advertisement More from Cifu responded to a Leafs fan on the social media platform X who, noticing Israeli flags in the owner's bio, wrote that Israel was 'using starvation as a weapon to win a war' in Gaza. In a subsequent back-and-forth, Cifu used explicit language and called the fan a '51st state anti semite loser'—the last part of the message an apparent reference to President Donald Trump suggesting Canada join the U.S. The NHL suspended Cifu indefinitely from having any involvement with the club or the league. In addition to his minority share, Cifu serves as the Panthers' vice chairman and is its alternate governor for league matters. 'Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,' Cifu told Florida Hockey Now in a statement after his suspension was first announced. '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.' Advertisement The Panthers did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Cifu is the CEO of Virtu Financial, a high-frequency trading company that he co-founded with Vincent Viola in 2008. He purchased a minority share in the Panthers when Viola bought the franchise in 2013. The Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year where they'll face the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of last year's final. With the Oilers having home-ice advantage, Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) would be played in Sunrise, Fl. The Stanley Cup Final begins on June 4 in Edmonton. Advertisement Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu suspended by NHL over 'unacceptable and inappropriate' comments on social media
Florida Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu was suspended by the NHL after making "unacceptable and inappropriate" comments on social media, the league announced Tuesday. The incident occurred following the Panthers' 2-0 win in Game 4 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Following the victory, Cifu engaged in a back-and-forth with a fan that included profanity, taunting and comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The latter issue was brought up by the fan due to Cifu's support of Israel on his X account. Cifu also had five Israeli flag emojis in his bio. His X account was set to private and then deleted shortly after the back-and-forth. After multiple tweets with the fan, Cifu eventually responded, "Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever [sic] last Hamas rat is eliminated." The NHL did not specify a particular tweet in its announcement, merely stating Cifu was suspended for "unacceptable and inappropriate" posts. Cifu will need to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before being reinstated from the suspension, per the league statement. "The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league said in a statement. "As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL. An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the Commissioner at a date to be determined." Cifu apologized for those comments in a statement to Florida Hockey Now. In the statement, Cifu said he made "regrettable and inflammatory comments." 'Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,'' Cifu wrote in a statement. "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 are owned by Vincent J. Viola. He and Cifu co-founded Virtu Financial in 2008. Cifu has held an ownership stake in the Panthers since 2013, when Viola purchased the team. Cifu is listed as the "vice chairman, partner, and alternate governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (SSE), the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, FLA Live Arena, and SSE's additional operating entities," on the Panthers' website. He still serves as the CEO at Virtu Financial and sits on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu suspended by NHL over 'unacceptable and inappropriate' comments on social media
Florida Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu was suspended by the NHL after making "unacceptable and inappropriate" comments on social media, the league announced Tuesday. The incident occurred following the Panthers' 2-0 win in Game 4 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Following the victory, Cifu engaged in a back-and-forth with a fan that included profanity, taunting and comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The latter issue was brought up by the fan due to Cifu's support of Israel on his X account. Cifu also had five Israeli flag emojis in his bio. His X account was set to private and then deleted shortly after the back-and-forth. After multiple tweets with the fan, Cifu eventually responded, "Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever [sic] last Hamas rat is eliminated." The NHL did not specify a particular tweet in its announcement, merely stating Cifu was suspended for "unacceptable and inappropriate" posts. Cifu will need to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before being reinstated from the suspension, per the league statement. "The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league said in a statement. "As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL. An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the Commissioner at a date to be determined." Cifu apologized for those comments in a statement to Florida Hockey Now. In the statement, Cifu said he made "regrettable and inflammatory comments." 'Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,'' Cifu wrote in a statement. "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 are owned by Vincent J. Viola. He and Cifu co-founded Virtu Financial in 2008. Cifu has held an ownership stake in the Panthers since 2013, when Viola purchased the team. Cifu is listed as the "vice chairman, partner, and alternate governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (SSE), the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, FLA Live Arena, and SSE's additional operating entities," on the Panthers' website. He still serves as the CEO at Virtu Financial and sits on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Douglas Cifu apology follows NHL suspension for offensive comments
Douglas Cifu apology follows NHL suspension for offensive comments (Image Source: Getty Images) Florida Panthers co-owner Douglas Cifu has been suspended from team and league activities by the NHL. It is due to a series of inflammatory and offending comments he posted on the internet while he was involved in a fight with a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The comments talked about war, politics, and even called Canada the "51st state." These comments infuriated many people. The NHL called the posts "unacceptable" and said that Cifu must meet with the league boss before he can come back. Douglas Cifu suspended after online fight with Leafs fan The war broke out after the Panthers beat Game 4 against the Maple Leafs. One fan with the screen name "Dr. Grizzo" wrote a post that talked about hard hits in hockey versus war activity. Cifu responded online in a forceful manner with the fan's name. He stood up for Israel with lofty claims and had five Israeli flags listed in his profile. He told the fan to "eat s---" and used the term "51st state," which some relate to Donald Trump's suggestion to annex Canada into the U.S. People on the internet were quick to pick up on it. The next day, Cifu privatized his profile and then removed it. But it was too late. The NHL had already seen what he said and acted fast. Cifu cannot be present at any NHL or Panthers-related event until he speaks with Commissioner Gary Bettman personally. Cifu later apologized and said his actions were not fit for the Panthers. He said he would work with the league to make things better. Douglas Cifu faces NHL exile despite Stanley Cup honor Douglas Cifu is not just an owner of the team. He helps run the Panthers' business side and sits alongside team owner Vincent Viola. He also heads a major financial company that Viola established. When the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024, Cifu had his name engraved on the trophy. Now, however, just one year later, he is suspended due to what he put on the internet. The Panthers themselves remained in the playoffs and tied 2-2 with the Leafs in a hard-fought series. But the team must also deal with the type of adversity one of their leading individuals has caused. Also Read: Douglas Cifu, Vice-Chairman Of The Florida Panthers, Was Suspended Over Comments On The Toronto Maple Leafs And Canada
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Florida Panthers minority owner suspended for 'unacceptable' social media posts
Florida Panthers minority owner suspended for 'unacceptable' social media posts Show Caption Hide Caption Can the Florida Panthers really go back-to-back? With a dominant roster and playoff experience, the Panthers are poised to make a strong run at back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Sports Pulse The NHL suspended a minority owner of the Florida Panthers on Tuesday for his recent "unacceptable and inappropriate" posts on social media. Doug Cifu, the team's vice chairman and alternate governor, is barred from any involvement with the team or the league pending a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at a later date. In a back-and-forth exchange Sunday with a Toronto fan on X (formerly Twitter) that began with comments about the ongoing playoff series between the Maple Leafs and Panthers, the topic switched to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "Eat (expletive) 51st state anti-semite loser," one of Cifu's posts read. "Israel now and forever. Until ever (sic) last Hamas rat is eliminated." That post, which began by referencing President Donald Trump's remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state, was later deleted and the account was deactivated. "The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu's X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league said in a statement. "As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL." Cifu provided a statement Tuesday 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." Cifu is the CEO of Virtu Financial, a business he co-founded with Panthers owner and chairman Vincent Viola in 2008. The Panthers and Maple Leafs are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. Game 5 is in Toronto on Wednesday night.
