The Florida Panthers suspended Doug Cifu, the franchise's vice chairman, on Monday following a social media fight with a fan on Sunday, Breitbart reported. The NHL suspension is indefinite, citing "unacceptable and inappropriate" remarks he made during the online argument.
Cifu has since deactivated his account on X, formerly Twitter, following the online tiff. He allegedly traded insults with a Toronto Maple Leafs fan who likened the Panthers' rough play to Israel in its war against Hamas in Palestine.
The reply from Cifu included obscenities and a reference to President Donald Trump's barb against Canada when he called it the "51st state" earlier this year. "Eat s--- 51st state anti-semite loser," Cifu allegedly wrote.
"Israel now and forever. Until ever[y] last Hamas rat is eliminated," Cifu added.
The Panthers notched a 2-0 win on Sunday, but the real conflict happened off the ice and on social media. According to ESPN, Cifu attacked a person with the handle Dr. Grizzo on May 11 after he turned the discussion about the game into political commentary.
The contentious series between the two teams became an even 2-2 record after Sunday's game. However, Toronto's Anthony Stolarz was taken out after Florida center Sam Bennett collided with the Maple Leafs' goalie, causing a head injury.
Moreover, the teams traded high body checks, which Dr. Grizzo compared with attacks Israel launched against Hamas. "Hey, what's worse, using headshots to win a series or using starvation as a weapon to win a war?" Dr. Grizzo wrote.
Cifu shot back, "Actually, being a whiny dope anti-semite is clearly worse. Loser."
The exchange continued with Dr. Grizzo challenging the premise of Cifu's insult. "Not approving of using starvation as a weapon makes me a bigot?" That's when Cifu hurled the obscenity at the other man before deactivating his account.
After the dustup, the NHL released a statement denouncing Cifu's actions. "The NHL has concluded that Mr. Cifu’s X posts were unacceptable and inappropriate," the league wrote.
"As a result, Mr. Cifu has been suspended indefinitely from any involvement with the Club and the NHL," it added. Commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to meet with Cifu at a time and place that will be determined later.
For his part, Cifu released a statement to Florida Hockey Now accepting responsibility. "My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family," Cifu said, referring to Panthers owner, chairman, and governor Vincent Viola.
"I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions," Cifu added.
This situation is part of a larger debate happening online that often turns ugly between people who support Israel and those who support Hamas. Regardless of the circumstances, Cifu should have shown more professionalism and held his tongue, and his suspension was well warranted after he didn't.
