The Florida Panthers have named Paul Krepelka assistant general manager and Tom Bark assistant to the general manager, the team announced Monday.
Krepelka had spent the past two seasons as vice-president of hockey operations with the Carolina Hurricanes, overseeing tasks such as contract negotiations, collective bargaining agreement/salary-cap compliance and player personnel. Bark, meanwhile, has been with the Columbus Blue Jackets since 2015-16, most recently serving as the team’s manager of scouting operations and player evaluation.
“Paul and Tom are crucial additions to our Hockey Operations Staff,” said GM Bill Zito in a press release.
“Paul joins the Florida Panthers with a wealth of experience from his time in the NHL, ECHL and on the agent side of the hockey business. As for Tom, I know him well from our time together in Columbus where he provided exceptional insight on the scouting and evaluation side of the game. I am thrilled to have them both on our team as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
Krepelka was also a sports agent for 20 years, and was co-founder and partner at Orr Hockey Group.
Before joining the Blue Jackets, Bark worked as an associate at Acme World Sports — specializing in regulatory compliance, player evaluation and global market dynamics — which was co-founded by Zito.
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