Florida Panthers sign GM Bill Zito to contract extension

“In a statement released by the Panthers, Viola highlighted what Zito has done for the Panthers so far, “From his first day as a Panther, Bill has demonstrated his complete commitment to success both on and off the ice. He has worked steadfastly and tirelessly to establish a new standard of excellence for our franchise,” said Viola. “The future has never looked brighter in South Florida and we are thrilled that Bill will continue to lead the way.”

Since Zito took over as GM in 2020-21, the Panthers have emerged as one of the top teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) and have not missed the playoffs during Zito’s tenure, successfully earning playoff berths in all four seasons which continues as the club’s longest postseason streak. Last season, the Panthers captured the 2022-23 Prince of Wales Trophy and 2021-22 Presidents’ Trophy and Atlantic Division title.

Zito also made big transactions in acquiring superstar Matthew Tkachuk from the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Tkachuk became the third Panther in franchise history to be named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy after notching a career-high 109 points during the 2022-23 regular season. Zito was nominated as a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award in 2020-21 and 2022-23.

Additionally, Zito acquired Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour and Vladimir Tarasenko through trades and signed Carter Verhaeghe, Niko Mikkola, Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Stolarz, Kevin Stenlund and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in free agency. Another one of Zito’s additions was defenseman Gustav Forsling via a waiver claim, Forsling recently signed a massive eight-year contract extension. Zito has also brought in head coach Paul Maurice and formed the goaltending department led by Hockey Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo.

On the international stage, Zito was recently named assistant general manager for Team USA in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 as well as for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Team.

Throughout his four years at the helm, Zito has led Florida to a 188-88-25 record in that span which ranks fifth among NHL clubs.