Hornqvist was named scouting and development consultant, moving into his first hockey operations role, in September of 2023 following a decorated NHL playing career.
The Sollentuna, Sweden native spent the three seasons as a skater with Florida (2020-21 to 2022-23) and was Zito’s first acquisition as general manager on Sept. 24, 2020. Serving as an alternate captain through the duration of his tenure with the Panthers, Hornqvist skated in 131 regular season games with Florida amassing 63 points (26-37-63). A veteran of 901 NHL games, Hornqvist won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17, scoring the Cup-clinching goal against Nashville in 2017. He became a three-time champion when the Panthers earned their first Stanley Cup in 2023-24.
