Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk makes honest admission about GM Bill Zito - "Changed my life bringing me here"

Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers are one win away from their third straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

With a 3-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida is so close they can taste it.

The Panthers have been a juggernaut ever since Matthew Tkachuk was acquired three years ago, and general manager Bill Zito deserves a lot of the credit. Zito is notably up for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award in 2024-25 for his excellent work.

On Wednesday, Tkachuk was asked about it and heaped praise on his GM for all that he's done. Sportsnet reporter Eric Engels shared Tkachuk's comments on X (formerly Twitter).

"I think it’s all built on great guys and hard workers, guys that fit really the style of game that we want to play here. Each addition has been great, but you can’t build a great team with bad guys. We don’t have any in there. We’re so lucky to have some of the best guys in the league, and I always say: nobody works harder, nobody has more fun. He’s built a great culture in there for us just to come in. I know it made it pretty easy for me to come in just a few years ago, and to just be part of that has been super fun and super easy," Tkachuk said.

"He’s done a great job, and hopefully we can reward him with a win... He’s been a great GM, and he’s somebody who changed my life bringing me here. So, I’ll always thank him for that," Tkachuk added.

Matthew Tkachuk has five years remaining on the eight-year, $76,000,000 contract extension he signed with the Panthers following the trade in the summer of 2022.

Matthew Tkachuk is confident in his team ahead of Game 5

Despite being shut out 3-0 at home with a chance to sweep the Hurricanes in Game 4, Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers' belief has not waned.

Tkachuk spoke about it during his pregame media availability. Team reporter Alex Baumgartner shared his comments on X.

"We always prepare for that seventh game; we've said it for years. So tonight's no different, but there's a little extra energy in here tonight — coming on the road with a chance to win a conference championship. This is as good as it gets. So we're really excited," Tkachuk said.

It's hard not to be confident and have belief in a team that's looking to win its 10th series in its last 11 attempts.

Tkachuk and the Panthers take on the Hurricanes in Game 5 on Wednesday night in Carolina. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center.