Panthers GM Zito calls playing, living in Finland 'greatest experience ever'

HELSINKI -- The Florida Panthers are well known for their players from Finland, from Olli Jokinen, who was their captain from 2003-08, to Aleksander Barkov, who became the first Finland-born captain to win the Stanley Cup last season.

In fact, Barkov is one of four Finland-born Panthers players, along with fellow forwards Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Niko Mikkola, who will face the Dallas Stars in the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal at Nokia Arena on Friday (2 p.m. ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN), and Saturday (Noon ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN1).

But to Florida general manager Bill Zito, the trip also represents a bit of a return to his hockey roots.

The 60-year-old was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, but had a brief playing career that ended in Finland before he became a player agent, moved into management, and built the Panthers team that won the Cup. Zito has fond memories of his time playing for Salo in Finland’s third division from 1987-88, though he acknowledges most people aren't aware of it.

“It wasn’t exactly high profile,” Zito said Tuesday. “We were in the third division. They had just built a new ice hall there and were trying to get the local hockey up and running. For me, it was the greatest experience ever.”

Zito, a forward, played at the University School of Milwaukee before heading to the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1983-84 and playing three collegiate seasons at Yale from 1984-87.
Zito joined Salo initially on a tryout in December 1987 and earned a contract for the remainder of the season.

When asked to describe his role with Salo, Zito replied, “I don’t know the Finnish word for ‘plumber,’ but it wasn’t that good. But it was a team that all the guys worked (day jobs) and then came to the hall at night for practice and it was really a labor of love.”

Salo was coached by the late former Finnish player and three-time Olympian Juhani Wahlsten, a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame.

“That was a really interesting opportunity for me,” Zito said. “Certainly, I know that he passed (in 2019), but just if you loved hockey and you were around that environment, it was wonderful and I’m going to see all those guys in Tampere, too.”

Zito left Salo early in the 1988-89 season after he tore the rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

“I don’t think they missed me,” he said, laughing.

Zito lived in Finland from 1995-2000 and founded Acme World Sports with Finnish player agent and good friend Markus Lehto. He went on to represent Finland-born NHL goalies Tuukka Rask and Antti Niemi, as well as United States-born players such as goalie Tim Thomas and defenseman Brian Rafalski, who each played professionally in Finland before breaking through to earn NHL jobs.

Zito left Acme to join the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant GM under Jarmo Kekalainen in 2013 and was named Florida GM in 2020. He still has strong ties in Finland, though, and is among the Panthers’ many connections with the country, along with assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, European scout Tommi Santala and amateur scout Tommi Huhtali, who will be at the NHL Global Series.

But Zito expects the games will have the most meaning for the Panthers players from Finland.

“To be able to come home and play an NHL hockey game here, hockey is a part of the fiber and the culture,” Zito said. “… I mean, (there’s) tens of thousands of people watching hockey every single night, and for these guys to come home and play an NHL game, you’ll have to ask them, but I think it’s beyond special.

“And I can tell you in conversations that I’ve had, they’re so very proud, and they should be.”