Latest news with #DouglasCifu
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
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
NHL suspends Panthers executive for ‘unacceptable and inappropriate' posts
The NHL suspended Florida Panthers minority owner Douglas Cifu following comments he made Sunday on social media. Cifu posted the offending messages on X during a spat with a Maple Leafs fan after the Panthers defeated Toronto in Game 4 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series. The fan opened the back-and-forth by commenting on several high hits by Panthers players against Maple Leafs skaters and then invoked the Israel-Gaza war. Cifu had displayed five Israeli flags in the bio of his X account.
The Province
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Province
Florida Panthers exec breaks silence after being suspended by NHL for social media post
Douglas Cifu was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Monday and is set for an in-person hearing with commissioner Gary Bettman. Florida Panthers executive Douglas Cifu speaks during press conference in 2013. AP Photo After his words posted on social media got him in some big trouble, Florida Panthers executive Douglas Cifu has broken his silence following his suspension by the NHL. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Cifu, the team's vice chairman, partner and alternate governor, appeared 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. The post on social media site X 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. WARNING: Vulgar language '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. A screenshot of an alleged post by Florida Panthers executive Douglas Cifu. Twitter On Tuesday, Cifu apologized for his 'regrettable' comments in a statement to Florida Hockey Now. 'Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,' Cifu said in the statement. 'My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions.' When the Panthers organization was asked for comment by an ESPN NHL reporter, the team directed him to Cifu's statement. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cifu's viral 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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 and was deactivated Monday evening. The NHL came hard 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 to Postmedia. 'An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the commissioner at a date to be determined.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More The bio for the account with the handle @Dougielarge read '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.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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. Sports News Vancouver Canucks News World
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Florida Panthers minority owner suspended indefinitely over social media posts
Florida Panthers minority owner Douglas Cifu has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL over posts on social media, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic. The comments were made using an X account that has since been deactivated following the Panthers' 2-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their second-round series on Sunday night. Advertisement Cifu weighed in on the conflict between Israel and Palestine while responding to a Leafs fan who compared controversial hits by the Panthers to the conflict in the Middle East, asking him: 'Hey what's (sic) worse, using head shots to win a series or using starvation to win a war?' Among the replies from Cifu's account were, 'Actually being a whiny dope anti semite is clearly worse. Loser' and 'Eat s–t 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever (sic) last Hamas rat is eliminated.' The Toronto Sun was the first to report on Cifu's indefinite suspension from the NHL. Cifu will meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at a mutually convenient time to discuss the duration of his suspension, according to Daly. Cifu is a vice-chairman, partner and alternate governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment and has been known for using his former X account (@dougielarge) to share support for the team and interact with fans. Cifu has held an ownership stake in the Panthers since buying the team with Vincent Viola in 2013. His name was among those engraved into the Stanley Cup following last year's victory over the Edmonton Oilers. On Tuesday, Cifu apologized for his actions in a statement issued to Florida Hockey Now: 'Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media. 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.'
National Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Florida Panthers exec suspended by NHL breaks silence after disturbing social media post
Article content After his words posted on social media got him in some big trouble, Florida Panthers executive Douglas Cifu has broken his silence following his suspension by the NHL. Article content Cifu, the team's vice chairman, partner and alternate governor, appeared 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. Article content Article content The post on social media site X 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. Article content '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. Article content 'Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,' Cifu said in the statement. 'My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family. Article content 'I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions.' Article content Article content Panthers owner tilted LFG 😂😂😂 — Dr. Grizzo (PhD, MD, BA, MBA, 7'4 240 IQ) (@mrgrozz) May 12, 2025
