The next chairman of the Florida Panthers has vehemently denied rumours that the NHL team is up for sale.
Doug Cifu, who will assume day-to-day control of the Panthers now that Vinnie Viola has been nominated to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Army, tells Sportsnet that he remains fully committed to the team.
In recent weeks, industry sources suggested that Panthers owners had spoken to interested buyers. The rumours intensified after it was announced Monday that Viola was joining President-elect Donald Trump’s government.
“Categorically and 100 per cent false and untrue,” Cifu wrote in an email. “The Panthers have never been for sale and we’ve never talked to anyone ever about selling the Panthers.”
Viola purchased a controlling interest in the team in September 2013.
His ownership stake will be transferred to a family trust with Cifu taking over as chairman and governor of Sunrise Sports and Entertainment, pending approval from the NHL.
In a release, the league said it would work to ensure the transition is seamless: “Mr. Viola and team ownership have further advised that they remain completely committed to South Florida and to the Panthers’ fans.”
