Bill Zito has a new title with the Florida Panthers. He's now president of hockey operations

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Bill Zito has been promoted by the Florida Panthers, with the team announcing Monday that its general manager will now also serve as the team’s president of hockey operations.

The promotion came with a multi-year contract extension, the terms of which were not revealed by the reigning Eastern Conference champions.

Zito’s arrival four years ago sparked a massive turnaround by the Panthers, who have made the playoffs in all four of his seasons leading the front office — a streak unlike any other in club history — and have won more than half their games in all four of those seasons. In the 26 seasons before Zito, Florida had a total of three seasons where it won more than 50% of its games.

“Obviously on a personal level, I’m thrilled and honored,” Zito said. “And I’m grateful to be able to continue to try to keep building and keep pursuing the goal of making this a destination franchise.”