The NHL has suspended Florida Panthers vice chairman and alternate governor Doug Cifu from any involvement with the team or the league, doing so in response to inappropriate posts on Cifu’s now-shuttered social media account.

Cifu, in posts on X, got into a back-and-forth with a Toronto fan on Sunday night, the fan starting the exchange by comparing hits by Florida players in this ongoing series against the Maple Leafs to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

A post on Cifu’s account shortly after, in response to the Toronto fan, referred to the fan a “51st state anti semite loser.”

That post was among those deleted not long afterward, and the account has since been suspended.

Star activate Heiskanen from long-term injured list

Defenseman Miro Heiskanen was activated from long-term injured reserve Tuesday, returning to the Dallas Stars lineup for the first time in 3 1/2 months.

Heiskanen missed the last 32 regular-season games and the first 10 playoff games. He injured his left knee against Vegas on Jan. 28 when taking a big hit from Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, and had surgery in February.

Before getting hurt this season, the 25-year-old Heiskanen had 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in his 50 games.

Minor league baseball

Saints open long series at Iowa with two-run victory

The Saints opened a seven game series against the I-Cubs with a 6-4 victory at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.

Mike Ford’s two-run double staked St. Paul to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but Iowa struck back for a pair in the bottom of the frame.

RBI doubles from Jonathon Long and Carson McCusker gave the Saints a lead they’d hold on to at 4-2. The teams exchanged a pair of runs from there but the I-Cubs could not pull even.

St. Paul starter Andrew Morris earned the win.

NBA

Allen’s estate putting Trail Blazers up for sale

Paul Allen’s estate announced Tuesday that it has begun the process of selling the Portland Trail Blazers.

The sale of the team is “consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all estate proceeds to philanthropy,” the Trail Blazers said in a statement.

Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, died in 2018 at age 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Since then, his sister, Jody Allen, has served as chair of the Trail Blazers and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust.

The estate said it has hired the New York investment firm Allen & Company and the law firm Hogan Lovells to lead the sales process, “which is estimated to continue into the 2025-26 basketball season.”

The team noted in its announcement that the NBA Board of Governors must ratify any final purchase agreement.

NFL

Hendrickson attends Bengals’ team practice

A text from head coach Zac Taylor led Bengals All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson to head to Cincinnati, attend the team’s optional team practice as a spectator and speak to reporters.

Hendrickson, entering the final year of his contract, has been seeking a new deal and also requested a trade. The Bengals’ front office hasn’t matched what he’s looking for.

On Monday, Taylor texted Hendrickson that he’d be fined if he didn’t report to mandatory minicamp next month.

League pauses its ‘accelerator program’

The NFL will not hold its accelerator program aimed at increasing diversity among coaches at the upcoming spring meetings as the league plans to make changes to the program before bringing it back next year.

The latest event in the program, which began in 2022, was scheduled to have coaching candidates of diverse backgrounds meet with team owners at league meetings next week in Minnesota.

NFL chief administrative officer Dasha Smith said the program will come back in May 2026.

Jets release veteran punter Morstead

The New York Jets released veteran punter Thomas Morstead after two seasons in his second stint with the team.

Morstead, who turned 39 in March, is part of what has been a roster overhaul by new general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn since they were hired in January.

wrestling

Snyder charged in prostitution sting

Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder, one of the most successful wrestlers in U.S. history, was arrested in a prostitution sting, according to police in Columbus.

Snyder, 29, was charged with engaging in prostitution after he was arrested on Friday, according to court records, which did not list an attorney for him. Messages seeking comment from Snyder were not immediately returned.

Snyder became the youngest American wrestler to win Olympic gold at age 20 during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

— From news service reports