Bill Zito '82 Brings Stanley Cup to USM

When the Florida Panthers won their first-ever National Hockey League championship in June, University School of Milwaukee hockey players and fans were thrilled. That's because Bill Zito, the Panthers' general manager and president of hockey operations, is a USM alumnus (Class of 1982) and former USM and Milwaukee Winter Club (MWC) youth hockey player.

As a touching tribute to his alma mater and the individuals who helped shape his early life and career, Zito brought the iconic Stanley Cup home to USM and Milwaukee on Wednesday, Aug. 14. In addition to taking the cup to Fiserv Forum, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, and American Family Field, among other locations, he brought the cup to USM’s campus, where members of the USM hockey and MWC youth hockey communities were invited to hear Zito speak and get their photos taken with the trophy.

“The guys who are here with me today, friends and former teammates, we understand and appreciate how much USM and the Milwaukee Winter Club did for us,” said Zito. “As we get older, we really give thanks and reflect on our experience here together, and it makes us appreciate it even more. So it's wonderful to be able to bring it back. It's pretty neat that somebody from USM can win the Stanley Cup. It's possible. It's real. And it's a lot of fun.”

Zito was interviewed by several local news outlets for bringing the Stanley Cup on a tour of Milwaukee: TMJ4, CBS58, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Spectrum News, and the Ozaukee News Graphic for bringing the Stanley Cup on a tour of Milwaukee