Bill Zito did not win the 2025 Jim Gregory NHL General Manager of the Year Award. For the second year in a row, the Zito-constructed Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup. And for the third year in a row, Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill won the Jim Gregory NHL GM of the Year Award. Now, Zito will be the first person to tell you that the only thing that matters is winning the Stanley Cup. He’ll now have his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup a second time, and looking at the team he’s built, there’s no reason to think it won’t continue to happen. The way that Zito has constructed the Panthers has been amazing to witness. It hasn’t just been about adding the most talented players. Sure, many the guys he’s acquired and signed have blossomed into the best versions of themselves while playing in South Florida, but that has had as much to do with their skills as it does their willingness to put in the work. Character and skill hold equal value when it comes to playing for Zito’s Panthers, and the results speak for themselves. Not only that, but Zito has also taken those players and signed many of them to long-term, team-friendly deals. They want to play for the Panthers, and they’re willing to take less money in order for the team to be better. It’s an incredible situation that has been cultivated in South Florida, and Zito is at the head of it. So yeah, it’s a little annoying that while Zito has been a finalist for the Jim Gregory GM of the Year award in three straight years and in four of his five at the helm of the Panthers, he’s still yet to win one. To be fair, the frustration is dulled a bit by those aforementioned Stanley Cups. It’s still bothersome. Exasperating. Aggravating. Build the statue already. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida Panthers sign Sam Bennett to 8-year contract extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-sign-sam-bennett-to-8-year-contract-extension] The Hockey Show: Stanley Cup parade, NHL Draft, free agency, hockey diversity [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-stanley-cup-parade-nhl-draft-free-agency-hockey-diversity] NHL Rumors: 2 Teams Linked To Panthers' Aaron Ekblad [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/nhl-rumors-2-teams-linked-to-panthers-aaron-ekblad] Florida Panthers 2025 NHL Draft primer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-2025-nhl-draft-primer] Panthers Trade Forward Prospect To Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-trade-forward-prospect-to-capitals] Photo caption: Panthers General Manager Bill Zito places the Stanley Cup on a table on Wednesday August 14, 2024 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. (© Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
