LeBrun: Panthers’ Bill Zito on his way from Brewers batboy to one of the NHL’s most successful managers

Bill Zito has come a long way since his days as a batboy for the Milwaukee Brewers.

From a World Series appearance as a teenage batboy to the Stanley Cup Final as an NHL general manager, it is a life lived indeed.

The Florida Panthers took a chance on Zito in September 2020, handing him his first NHL GM job after the former player agent turned AGM with the Columbus Blue Jackets took several swings at GM jobs elsewhere.

Zito interviewed for GM openings with the Buffalo Sabers (Jason Botterill was hired), Minnesota Wild (Paul Fenton was hired), Wild again (Bill Guerin got it), Carolina Hurricanes (owner Tom Dundon ultimately did not hire a GM after interviewing several candidates had interviewed, with team president Don Waddell being named GM instead), Philadelphia Flyers (Chuck Fletcher got it), Edmonton Oilers (Ken Holland got it), and New Jersey Devils (where the owner interviewed several people, including Zito, before ultimately interim GM Tom Fitzgerald was promoted to the full-time job).

All this said, Zito didn’t take the easy path to where he is today. He had to be patient. For starters, he took the risk of leaving his player agency. Acme World Sports, a company he founded in 1995, has represented Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask, John Madden, Kimmo Timonen and Brian Rafalski, among others. He jumped into a whole new world as AGM of the Blue Jackets in 2013.

So when the Panthers announced this week that they had signed Zito to a multi-year extension (his previous contract expired after next season) and promoted him to the title of president of hockey operations, one had to sit back and reflect on the journey.

“You feel very happy, blessed and humble,” were Zito’s first words when we spoke by telephone on Monday evening. “I am so grateful to the Violas (the team’s owners) for this opportunity.

“And for the opportunity to be part of something. You know, we’ve been fortunate that we’ve had the opportunity to get a really good group of people together here who are like-minded. It is a privilege to be part of that.”

It’s been quite a journey. One still misses a Stanley Cup, but Zito has built a team in Florida that can compete not only this year but for several years to come.

“One of the blessings here is the core group,” Zito said. “They’re not just good players, they’re great people.

“And the group of people I get to work with every day, learn from, communicate with and am challenged by, it’s so special.”

Team USA Olympic GM Bill Guerin has gotten to know Zito well, and they will now work together as part of the country’s management group for 4 Nations and the Olympics.

“Honestly, I love Billy,” Guerin said Tuesday. “No. 1, as a person, he and I have become closer over the last decade when we were both assistant GMs. He’s one of the smartest people I know. He thinks differently. I really respect that. He thinks out of the box, he is aggressive.

“There is always something to do upstairs. I just think the world is his.

The Panthers are down to four players left on their NHL roster as of Zito’s appointment as GM on September 2, 2020: captain Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sergei Bobrovsky and Eetu Luostarinen. Certainly, the first three are big, important veterans.

Zito makes a point of giving credit to former Panthers GM Dale Tallon for leaving a strong core and good assets to inherit.

“I’ve met some pretty good players here,” Zito said. “Kind of a testament to Dale, right?”

But Zito has been as aggressive as any GM in the league in expanding his core, trading for the likes of Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour. There was also his low-key signing of Carter Verhaeghe, his waiver claim of Gustav Forsling, etc.

“Billy has done an excellent job of reshaping the Panthers,” Waddell said Tuesday.

“As I look back on his days as an agent, I have always found Bill to be a creative, out-of-the-box thinker,” said Julien BriseBois, General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It served him well then and continued to serve him well once he entered team management. He has proven to be a thoughtful and bold General Manager, and his leadership has helped make the Panthers a top team in the League since his appointment.”

Some rookie GMs sit too much on their hands and are reluctant to be beaten in a trade. That wasn’t Zito.

Not every new GM gets his second contract. That’s just a fact of life in the fast lane. And some of those new GMs never get another chance.

One thing I’ve heard repeatedly from experienced General Managers over the years is that over time they have to learn to delegate more. When someone becomes a GM, you realize you have stakes in every decision. The buck stops with you. That’s an overwhelming feeling and what you often see with novice GMs is that they feel the need to check in on every facet every day. GMs have to learn to grow into a place where they know there are people who care for certain things and have to learn to let go a little bit.

At this, Zito took a deep breath before answering.

“Everything you said is accurate and precise,” he said. “For me it’s a little different because I did have a sports agency, so running a business is something I have experience with.”

“With the knowledge of the interaction you just referred to and my own personal experience, I still don’t really understand it,” he added with a laugh. “It’s still difficult to delegate. I struggle.”

Bill Zito and Panthers coach Paul Maurice address the media before the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. (Lucas Peltier / USA Today)

Zito can laugh about it because he hopes it’s something he’ll get better at over time. But it all comes from caring about every little detail in the day-to-day operations of the hockey side of the franchise.

He truly lives and dies with every win or loss.

In the meantime, Zito has tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible from people in the competition.

He points to a call from the Board of Directors during the pandemic, when Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs made a comment to the group as a whole that really stuck with him.

“He said, ‘Someone smart once told me that no one ever listens to themselves when there are problems,’” Zito said. “I found that very interesting. I know I have to do better. And I think probably anyone could.

Right now it’s all about the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Panthers are hoping for another deep run.

The offseason will be busy as always, Reinhart is an unrestricted free agent awaiting a career season. One of the things I found interesting a few weeks ago when I spoke with Reinhart about his upcoming contract decision is that he mentioned his comfort level with Zito as a factor in why he isn’t stressed about not having signed an extension yet.

“I think the relationship that we have, me and Billy, me and the organization, is all positive, all mutual,” Reinhart said. “I’m very pleased that it will continue. Hopefully we have bigger things in mind in the coming months. But at least I don’t lose sleep over it.”

That feeling is mutual.

“I have nothing but respect for Sam and it will happen at the right time,” Zito reiterated Monday night.

If Reinhart stays, it will undoubtedly be for less than what his market demand would be on July 1. But who can blame him if he’s willing to take less?

They built something special in South Florida. And everyone wants a piece of it.

(Top photo of Bill Zito: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)