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.”
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.”
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.
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And now, he’s heading towards his first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Walman’s puck-moving skills, physicality, and dedication to putting everything on the line to win have made him a match made in hockey heaven for the Oilers.
Walman is excellent at breakout passes. This has served the Oilers well because he can dish the puck to the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and others. Oilers fans caught a glimpse of this in his first game with the Oilers, where he made two incredible stretch passes.
One connected with Zach Hyman, who then scored. The other lead to a great scoring opportunity. This trend has continued during the playoffs.
Brought Physical Game To The Playoffs
Walman has been throwing hits and clearing the net after whistles like his life depended on it. In 16 games, he’s recorded 24 hits.
However, it’s his ability to clear the net that’s been very evident. Walman has not been afraid to muck it up after whistles, ensuring that no opposing player is taking liberties with his new teammates.
The Oilers are different this year, and Walman has joined that group, eager to win himself.
So eager, that he is putting his body on the line every single night. Walman has blocked 43 shots during the playoffs. He’s ranked first on the Oilers in this stat and second in the NHL, behind the Dallas Stars defender Esa Lindell (44 blocks).
Effective breakout passes, clearing the net on the defensive side of the puck, and sacrificing his body have made Walman the ideal addition for the Oilers during this playoff run.
With the Stanley Cup Final beginning on Wednesday, June 4th, look for more of the same from Walman in the days and weeks to come.
This shoe appears taylor made for the Oilers.
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The San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to a one-year, $1 million contract extension, it was announced Thursday.
Mukhamadullin, who joined the Sharks in the deal that saw Timo Meier head to the New Jersey Devils, split this season between the NHL and AHL. In 21 games with the San Jose Barracuda, Mukhamadullin collected nine assists while scoring two goals and adding seven assists for nine points in 30 games with the Sharks.
Drafted by the Devils in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Mukhamadullin has played in 33 career NHL games, putting up two goals and eight assists for 10 points. Prior to making his way to North America full time, Mukhamadullin spent parts of four seasons in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
With Mukhamadullin signing an extension, he has clearly played himself into the Sharks future plans. An effective defender who uses his long reach to shut down scoring chances as well as contribute offensively, Mukhamdullin will be an important piece for San Jose as they look to continue building on the road back to contention.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was candid during his end-of-season media availability on Thursday, offering an honest assessment of the team’s shortcomings – including his own moves from the past year.
Specifically, he was open about the team’s performance and the risks that didn’t pay off, including the swing-and-miss that was defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.
“In Jani's case, we knew going into the summer and talking to him that there was risk,” Treliving admitted. “We went through that process, and we took a swing, and it didn't work out. But we'll always continue to look at if there's times to take swings, we're going to try to take swings. It didn't work out.”
Treliving on Hakanpaa: "There was always risk. We took a swing and it didn't work out."
The Maple Leafs signed Hakanpaa to a one-year, $1.47 million deal last offseason with the hope that his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame would bolster a blueline looking to become tougher and more physically imposing.
On paper, the fit was there. But on the ice, Hakanpaa barely had the chance to make an impact.
He played just two games for Toronto, the last coming on November 16 against the Edmonton Oilers. He underwent minor knee surgery in hopes of returning in the second half of the season, but was placed on LTIR on December 2 and never returned to game action.
The 33-year-old also played two conditioning games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies but failed to register a point in any of his four total outings. He was initially named to Finland’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster but had to withdraw due to his recovery timeline.
Concerns about his health were well-documented during the long process it took to finalize his contract.
According to a report from Postmedia's Steve Simmons at the time, Hakanpaa’s knee was essentially “bone-on-bone with not much knee left.”
Now an unrestricted free agent, the Finnish defender’s time in Toronto is almost certainly over – his lone season ultimately amounting to a costly rehab stint.
Forward Depth. Where does it stand?
While Hakanpaa was one of the more obvious examples of a miss, Treliving’s evaluation of the roster extends far past the backend. With the season officially in the books, Toronto’s front office now turns its attention to offseason decisions, many of which lie within the team’s forward group, particularly the bottom six.
The general manager spoke heavily about a change of identity on Thursday, and although likely referring to the ‘Core Four,’ that shake-up could also come in the bottom six with a list of players who are questionable to be back in the blue and white next season.
Three names that Treliving discussed as question marks heading into the summer and their future: Pontus Holmberg, Calle Jarnkrok, and Nick Robertson.
“The future we'll see, right? I'll do a little bit of different things. I like them,” said Treliving.
Starting with Holmberg, the 26-year-old Swede recorded seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 68 regular-season games. As a pending restricted free agent and arbitration-eligible, he’s coming off a quietly strong season under head coach Craig Berube.
His ability to play up and down the lineup made him a useful utility option, especially in the playoffs, where Holmberg appeared in 12 of 13 games.
“Pontus sort of bounced around, we've got to determine if he is a center or is he a winger, what that contract looks like. I like the kid. He's got some heaviness. I mean, he doesn't get pushed out of heavy games in the playoffs,” said Treliving.
Holmberg’s qualifying offer sits at $866,250, and while he’s likely due for a raise from his two-year, $1.6 million contract, the Leafs must determine where he fits long-term – both in position and in the budget.
Jarnkrok, meanwhile, is entering the final year of a four-year, $8.4 million contract he signed in 2022. The 33-year-old missed most of the 2024-25 season due to groin and sports hernia issues but returned in early March. He managed just one goal and six assists in 19 regular-season games and a single assist in 12 playoff appearances.
“Calle, When did Calle start playing? The last six weeks of the season, maybe or something like that. It was a tough year for him. He was out all year. So it's a hard one to really evaluate,” said Treliving. “Jarny's a smart player."
He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. There were rumblings last summer that the club might try to move off Jarnkrok’s deal to free up cap space. It’s a possibility that could resurface again, but we’ll see.
Then there’s Robertson, whose situation remains complex.
After requesting a trade in June 2024, he returned to Toronto on a one-year, $875,000 deal and went on to post career highs in games played (69), goals (15), and average ice time (12:00). Yet despite clear growth and improved two-way play, the 23-year-old never quite earned consistent trust under Berube. He was scratched for 10 of Toronto’s 13 playoff games, recording two points (1G, 1A) in the postseason.
“I give Robbie a lot of credit,” Treliving said. “He gets stretches. He can shoot the puck. His challenge is just becoming a regular. You can always debate that. Is it opportunity? And then it comes, or do it more regularly to get more opportunity.”
Robertson is also an arbitration-eligible RFA. His qualifying offer is $918,750, and while a return isn’t off the table, a trade or bridge deal also seem like realistic options. However, it’s unclear whether either side sees a clear future in Toronto.
“Those are all three guys we've got to kind of determine,” Treliving said when asked about all three depth forwards. “All three players, where do we go for it? Again, not to be elusive. I don't know.”
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Although he may not always be one for the prying public eye, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will hit fans' TV screens in a different format than what they're used to this fall.
It was announced Thursday that Crosby - along with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Dallas Stars superstar Mikko Rantanen, former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and more - will be featured in season two of Amazon Prime's original series titled, "Faceoff: Inside the NHL."
"Faceoff" gives a candid, unfiltered glimpse into the everyday lives of NHL players both on and off the ice, from their training regimens all the way to their personal lives.
So, in a rare opportunity, fans will get the chance to see - firsthand - a day in the life of Crosby, the game's biggest name and biggest star for the better part of the last two decades. It is quite a change of pace for the notoriously private Crosby, as the cameras were following him around for most of the 2024-25 NHL season as well as for the 4 Nations Face-off tournament in February.
Season 2 will also follow Fleury - first overall draft pick by the Penguins in 2003 - during what was his final NHL season.
Pittsburgh's GM and POHO Kyle Dubas is conducting in-person interviews this week, and - according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic - a final decision could come as soon as the end of this week.
This year, the Stanley Cup Final will look familiar, as the Edmonton Oilers face off against the Florida Panthers for the second straight year. The 2024 Final rematch will begin next week in what is likely to be another exciting series.
Edmonton secured its 2025 Final appearance with a 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday, icing a 4-1 series win and the Western Conference championship. The victory set up a rematch against Florida, which picked up its own 4-1 series win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
As the Oilers chase their first Stanley Cup since 1990, their final obstacle will once again be the Panthers, who defeated Edmonton in a thrilling series in 2024. Florida went up 3-0 in the series before Edmonton went on a run to force a Game 7; the Panthers staved off a historic collapse with a 2-1 victory over the Oilers to earn the franchise's first title.
It's been more than 30 years since a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup — and the Oilers, out for revenge, have extra motivation to break that drought. Edmonton will also open the series as a slight betting favorite over the Panthers.
Hockey superstitions may also come into play here. After not touching the Clarence S. Campbell trophy last year and subsequently losing the Finals, Oilers captain Connor McDavid grabbed it right away this year — opening the hope that Edmonton's luck might change.
The Edmonton Oilers touched the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after winning the Western Conference Final 👀
Both teams have been on strong postseason runs heading into the rematch. Florida kicked off the playoffs with a 4-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, before dashing the Toronto Maple Leafs' postseason dreams with a 6-1 Game 7 victory.
As for Edmonton, the Oilers pulled through the first two rounds with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-2 win and a 4-1 win over the Las Vegas Knights before dispatching the Stars.
The Stanley Cup Final will begin on June 4, with Edmonton hosting the first two games.
