Bill Zito gets the call of a lifetime — from the Florida Panthers

Bill Zito was at his home office in Columbus on Tuesday when he got a call he had been waiting for his whole life — and it came from the Florida Panthers.

After seven years under Jarmo Kekalainen as an assistant GM of the Blue Jackets, Zito was now getting his chance to run his own team.

When team president Matt Caldwell initially called, Zito said, he missed the call.