NHL Drops Bombshell Ban on Panthers Owner Amid Shocking X Posts — What’s Next for the Team?

Sometimes, the often-separate worlds of sports and politics collide in the most unexpected—and uncomfortable—ways. Just ask Doug Cifu, the Florida Panthers minority owner who’s been handed an indefinite suspension by the NHL after a flurry of incendiary tweets exploded over the weekend. This isn’t your typical playoff drama. Cifu’s online spat with a Toronto Maple Leafs fan veered far beyond hockey, diving into the fraught territories of Middle East conflict and even tossing around the controversial idea of Canada as the United States’ 51st state. The league hit the brakes fast—given the Panthers are locked in a tight 2-2 second-round series with the Leafs, no less—and now awaits a face-to-face with commissioner Gary Bettman to unpack what went down. Cifu’s apology tries to mop up the mess, but the fallout still lingers like a bad aftertaste. It’s a stark reminder: in today’s hyper-connected arena, every word—on or off the ice—counts. LEARN MORE