Bill Zito has come a long way since his days as bat boy for the Milwaukee Brewers.
From playing in the World Series as a teenage bat boy to playing in the Stanley Cup Final as an NHL general manager, it’s truly a life.
The Florida Panthers took a chance on Zito in September 2020, adding the former player agent to the Columbus Blue Jackets general manager of the year after several moves at general manager positions elsewhere. His first NHL general manager job was handed to him.
Zito played with the Buffalo Sabers (hired Jason Botterill), Minnesota Wild (hired Paul Fenton), Wild Again (acquired Bill Guerin), Carolina Hurricanes The team (owner Tom Dundon ultimately did not hire a general manager after interviewing several candidates) interviewed for the general manager vacancy and appointed team president Don Waddle as general manager), the Philadelphia Flyers (Chuck Frye Cher got the title), the Edmonton Oilers (Ken Holland got the title) and the New Jersey Devils (the team’s owners interviewed several people, including Zito, before eventually placing interim general manager Tom ·Fitzgerald promoted to team general manager) full-time).
To sum up, it was not all smooth sailing for Zito to get to where he is today. He has to be patient. First, he ventured out of the player agency business. Acme World Sports, which he founded in 1995, has represented Tim Thomas, Tukka Rask, John Madden, Kimmo Timonen and Brian Rafalski et al. In 2013, as a member of the Blue Jackets’ AGM, he entered a whole new world.
So when the Panthers announced this week that they were re-signing Zito to a multi-year contract (his previous deal was set to expire after next season) and elevating him to the title of president of hockey operations, one had to sit back and consider the path taken. the way.
“You feel very lucky, blessed and humbled,” were the first words Zito said when we reached him by phone Monday evening. “I’m very grateful to Violas (the team owner) for giving me this opportunity.
“And the opportunity to be a part of something. You know, we’re lucky to have the opportunity to bring together a great group of like-minded people here. It’s an honor to be a part of it.
It’s been quite a journey. While they still missed out on the Stanley Cup, Zito has built a team in Florida that can build on not just this year, but for years to come.
“One of the strengths here is the core team,” Zito said. “Not only are they great players, they are great people.
“The group of people I work with, learn from, interact with and be challenged by every day is truly extraordinary.”
U.S. Olympic Team General Manager Bill Guerin knows Zito well and they will now work together as part of the U.S. Four Nations and Olympic management teams.
“Honestly, I love Billy,” Green said Tuesday. “No. 1. As a person, he and I have grown closer over the past decade or so when we were both assistant general managers. He’s one of the smartest people I know. He thinks differently. .I really respect that. He thinks outside the box and he’s aggressive.
“There’s always something going on upstairs. I just think about his world.
Since Zito was named general manager on September 2, 2020, the Panthers have only four players remaining on their NHL roster: captain Alexander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sergei Bobrovsky and Etu Lostarinen. The first three are undoubtedly important veterans.
Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad have been part of the Panthers’ core since before Bill Zito became general manager. (James Guillory/USA Today)
Zito paid tribute to former Panthers general manager Dale Tallon for leaving behind a strong core and good assets to inherit.
“I’ve met some really good players here,” Zito said. “That’s a little testament to Dale, right?”
But Zito has been as aggressive as any general manager in the league in adding to his core, trading for Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour, among others. people. He also signed Carter Verhaegger in a low-key manner, gave up Gustav Forsling, etc.
“Billy did a great job reshaping the Panthers,” Waddell said Tuesday.
“Looking back at Bill’s days as an agent, I’ve always found Bill to be a creative, out-of-the-box thinker,” Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. It served him well at the time, and it’s continued to serve him well now that he’s moved into team management. He’s proven himself to be a thoughtful and bold general manager with his leadership since he took over. Help the Panthers become the top team in the league.
Some first-time general managers sit on their hands too much, unwilling to get beat in a trade. That’s not Zito.
Not every first-time general manager gets a second contract. This is a fact of life in the fast lane. Some first-time general managers never get another chance.
One thing I’ve heard over and over again from senior general managers over the years is that over time, they have to learn to delegate more. When one becomes a general manager, you realize that every decision you make is at risk. The responsibility lies with you. It’s an overwhelming feeling and usually what you see with first-time general managers is that they feel the need to check every aspect on a daily basis. General managers have to learn to grow into a place where they know someone is responsible for certain things and have to learn to let go a little bit.
In response, Zito took a deep breath before answering.
“Everything you said is accurate and correct,” he said. “It’s a little different for me because I do have a sports agency, so running a business is something I have experience with.”
“Based on the knowledge of the interaction you just mentioned and my own personal experience, I still don’t get it,” he added with a laugh. “Delegation is still difficult. I struggle.
Bill Zito and Panthers coach Paul Maurice speak to the media before the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. (Lucas Peltier/USA Today)
Zito can laugh at himself because he hopes he will get better over time. But it all comes from paying attention to every little detail in the day-to-day operations of a team’s hockey team.
He literally lives and dies with every victory or defeat.
Meanwhile, Zito tries to absorb as much knowledge as possible from people across the league.
He noted that during the pandemic, Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs made a comment to the entire group during a board of governors conference call that stood out to him.
“He said, ‘A wise man once told me that no one listens to himself because of trouble,'” Zito said. “I thought it was really fun. I knew I needed to do better. I thought maybe everyone could.
Now, it’s all about the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Panthers are looking to make another big run.
The offseason will be as busy as ever, with Reinhardt an unrestricted free agent heading into his professional season. One thing I found interesting a few weeks ago when I was talking to Reinhart about his upcoming contract decision was that he mentioned his comfort level with Zito as a reason why he didn’t feel that way because he hadn’t signed an extension yet. A factor of stress.
“I think the relationship that we have, between Billy and I and me and the organization, is positive and mutual,” Reinhardt said. “I’m really happy with how it’s going. Hopefully in the next few months we’ll be thinking about bigger things. But I’m not losing any sleep over it anyway.
The feeling is mutual.
“I have nothing but respect for Sam and everything will be done at the right time,” Zito reiterated Monday night.
If Reinhardt stays, there is no doubt that his price will be lower than what the market demands for him on July 1.
They built something special in South Florida. Everyone wants a piece of the action.
(Top photo of Bill Zito: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
