Bill Torrey | |
|---|---|
 Torrey in 2015 | |
| Born | (1934-06-23)June 23, 1934 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | May 2, 2018(2018-05-02) (aged 83) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Hockey executive |
| Known for | General manager of theNew York Islanders (1972–1992) President of theFlorida Panthers (1993–2001) |
| Awards | Hockey Hall of Fame (1995) |
William Arthur Torrey (June 23, 1934 – May 2, 2018) was a Canadianhockey executive. He served as a general manager in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for theOakland Seals,New York Islanders, andFlorida Panthers. He developed the Islanders into adynasty that won theStanley Cup four consecutive times.[1] He was often called "The Architect", or "Bow Tie Bill" for thebow tie he wore.
Torrey was born on June 23, 1934, inMontreal, and raised near theMontreal Forum.[2][3][4] His father worked as a stockbroker.[5] He tried out for theMontreal Canadiens, and attendedSt. Lawrence University on a scholarship to play hockey. He lost hisdepth perception after he was hit in the left eye with ahockey stick, breaking hisorbital bone.[4] Torrey earned a degree in psychology, while also taking business classes. He then worked inBarrie, Ontario, at a radio station, and worked forNBC as a tour guide atRockefeller Center.[5]
In the mid-1960s, Torrey began working for thePittsburgh Hornets of theAmerican Hockey League, setting up promotional events.[5][6] He became general manager of theOakland Seals, a recently created expansion team in the NHL, in 1969.[7] The next year,Charlie Finley bought the team. Finley and Torrey clashed on issues ranging from personnel moves to marketing, and Torrey left the organization in 1971.[8]
Torrey was named the general manager of the expansionNew York Islanders on February 15, 1972, at a press conference held across the street fromRoosevelt Raceway at a restaurant owned byBurt Bacharach.[9] He was the organization's first employee.[3] Rather than trade for veteran players in hopes of winning right away, Torrey was committed to building through the draft. He felt that pursuing a "win now" strategy didn't make sense in the long run. Torrey draftedDenis Potvin first overall in the 1973 entry draft.[5]Montreal Canadiens general managerSam Pollock approached Torrey, hoping to trade for Potvin. Pollock's strategy was to offer a "quick-fix" package of mature players to exchange for the top draft pick, and it was tempting as the Islanders would immediately benefit from the trade. Torrey ultimately turned down the offer. Within several years Potvin blossomed into one of the NHL's elite defensemen and eventually becamecaptain of the team.[10]
In the Islanders' first two seasons, the team finished last in the league. This netted them high picks in the draft. With those picks, Torrey quickly assembled a roster that rose from a doormat to an NHL power. In the1977 NHL amateur draft, Torrey had the 15th pick and had to make a tough decision between two promising forwards,Mike Bossy andDwight Foster. Bossy was known as a scorer who couldn't check, while Foster could check but wasn't very good offensively. CoachAl Arbour persuaded Torrey to pick Bossy, figuring it was easier to teach a scorer how to check. Bossy immediately emerged as one of the league's elite snipers in his first season, in which he set a then-NHL record with 53 goals as a rookie. Bossy achieved nine consecutive 50-goal seasons, as well as having more than adequate defensive skills.[11]
After helping minority ownerJohn Pickett Jr. buy the franchise in 1979, Torrey was promoted to team president. In 1980, after the Islanders had underachieved in the playoffs for the past few years despite success in the regular season, Torrey made the difficult decision to trade longtime and popular veteransBilly Harris andDave Lewis to theLos Angeles Kings in return forButch Goring.[5]
Under Torrey's leadership, the Islanders won theStanley Cup four consecutive times: in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. They won 19 consecutive postseason series.[12] Along the way, he picked future Hall of Fame goalieBilly Smith in the team's original expansion draft and drafted five Hall of Fame players—Denis Potvin,Clark Gillies,Bryan Trottier,Mike Bossy, andPat LaFontaine—in theentry draft. He also hired as head coachAl Arbour, another Hall of Famer who won the Cup four times as a player.[13]
After LaFontaine demanded a trade and held out for the start of the1991–92 season, Torrey engineered a rebuilding project. He dealt LaFontaine,Randy Wood, andRandy Hillier (along with future considerations) to theBuffalo Sabres in return forPierre Turgeon,Benoît Hogue,Uwe Krupp andDave McLlwain. He also sent captainBrent Sutter andBrad Lauer to theChicago Blackhawks forSteve Thomas andAdam Creighton.[14] Pickett turned over day-to-day control to a management committee of four minority owners. After the Islanders missed the playoffs in 1992, Torrey was forced to resign.[15]
Torrey was named president of theFlorida Panthers, a new expansion team, in 1993. Torrey built his new team similarly to the Islanders, acquiring young talent that includedRob Niedermayer,Ed Jovanovski,Radek Dvořák, andRhett Warrener.[16] The Panthers made it to the1996 Stanley Cup Finals.[17] The team reached the playoffs twice more prior to his retirement in 2001. He remained with the team as special advisor.[18][19]
Torrey was elected to theHockey Hall of Fame in 1995.[20] He is honoured by the New York Islanders with a banner inUBS Arena along withAl Arbour and six of the players he drafted. Torrey's banner has the words "The Architect" and the image of a bowtie.[21]
On October 23, 2010, theFlorida Panthers honoured Torrey by retiring the number 93 and raising a banner in his honour to the rafters. The 93 represents the year (1993) when the Panthers franchise was incorporated into the NHL.[22]
Torrey had four sons, and ten grandchildren. Torrey died at his home inWest Palm Beach, Florida, on the evening of May 2, 2018.[7][2]
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| Preceded by | General Manager of the Oakland Seals 1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Position created | General Manager of the New York Islanders 1972–92 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | General Manager of the Florida Panthers 2000–01 | Succeeded by |
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