A high-ranking Florida Panthers executive has been suspended by the NHL after an online rant that included accusations of antisemitism and a reference to Canada as America’s 51st state.
Doug Cifu, the team’s vice chairman, partner and alternate governor, responded to Toronto Maple Leafs fans on X after watching the Panthers even their Stanley Cup Playoffs series at two games apiece on Sunday.
When one Leafs fan appeared to accuse Israel of ‘using starvation as a weapon to win a war’ against Palestinians in Gaza, Cifu countered with a post that has since gone viral.
‘Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser,’ an account with the handle @Dougielarge wrote on X. ‘Israel now and forever. Until ever (sic) last Hamas rat is eliminated.’
That same account also accused the Leafs fan of being a ‘whiny dope anti semite’ in another post.
Although the verified @Dougielarge account is now deactivated, it did belong to Cifu, according to its bio and X’s AI-assisted chatbot. That bio also included five Israeli flags, indicating Cifu’s strong support for the country.
Doug Cifu, the team’s vice chairman, partner and alternate governor, responded to Toronto Maple Leafs fans on X after watching the Panthers even their Stanley Cup Playoffs series
When one Leafs fan appeared to accuse Israel of ‘using starvation as a weapon to win a war’ against Palestinians in Gaza, Cifu countered with a post that has since gone viral
The account, @Dougielarge, apparently belonged to Cifu before it was deactivated
DailyMail.com has reached out to Panthers spokespeople for comment, and while they did not respond, Cifu has since released a statement.
‘My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family,’ Cifu told 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 NHL has since suspended Cifu indefinitely and commissioner Gary Bettman plans to speak with him.
‘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 read the league statement. ‘An in-person meeting will be scheduled with Mr. Cifu and the Commissioner at a date to be determined.’
Cifu’s reference to Canada as America’s ’51st state’ is an obvious nod to President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly suggested the U.S. could add its northern neighbor – something that has upset Canadian citizens and politicians.
Trump has even suggested his friend and supporter Wayne Gretzky become the proposed 51st state’s governor, although ‘The Great One’ has recently faced criticism in his native Canada over his ties to Trump.
This may not be Cifu’s first online outburst. The Long Island native was also accused of a 2024 post that ridiculed someone’s alleged ‘poverty’ and ‘special needs.’
Cifu is described on the Panthers website as the CEO of retail broker dealer Virtu Financial, which he co-founded with his Panthers co-owner Vincent J. Viola in 2008. The firm was accused by Joe Biden’s SEC of misleading customers about data privacy protections.
Virtu denied the SEC’s allegations in September of 2023, saying the company ‘maintained policies and procedures that were and are reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of confidential information.’
The puck will drop for Game 5 of the Panthers-Leafs second-round series on Wednesday evening at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
