Bill Torrey
Encyclopedia
William A. Torrey was a General Manager and executive in the National Hockey League
, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders
into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cup
s. He is known as "Bow-Tie" Bill, after the signature bow tie
he always wore.
career in the AHL in the mid-1960s, with the Pittsburgh Hornets, but his talent soon landed him a job as Vice-President of the Oakland Seals, a recently created expansion team in the NHL
. Torrey quickly forged a reputation as a shrewd executive, and his deals propelled the Seals from laughingstock to playoff contenders in his 2 plus seasons in Oakland
. He quickly soured on the experience, however, due to constant interference provided by owner Charlie Finley. Finley had a reputation of flamboyance, insisting his teams wore white skates and trying to convince the NHL to start using orange pucks. More importantly, Finley and Torrey clashed on issues ranging from personnel moves to marketing, and Torrey left the organization in 1971.
hired Torrey as their General Manager. The organization's first employee, Torrey was given the formidable job of building the organization from scratch, in the shadows of the much more established New York Rangers
. He added the title of vice president in 1973.
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.
In the Islanders' first two seasons, the team finished last in the league. However, those dreadful records netted them high picks in the draft. With those picks, Torrey quickly assembled a roster that rose from a doormat to an NHL power. It culminated in 1980, when the Islanders won the Stanley Cup
in only their eighth season of existence. Under Torrey, the Islanders won 6 Patrick Division
titles, made five consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup finals, and won four Cups in a row 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983. His clubs had 14 consecutive winning seasons, from 1975–1988.
Along the way, he picked future Hall of Fame goalie Billy Smith
in the team's original expansion draft, drafted five Hall of Fame players—Denis Potvin
, Clark Gillies
, Bryan Trottier
, Mike Bossy
, and Pat LaFontaine
—in the entry draft
. He also hired as head coach Al Arbour
, another Hall of Famer and winner of four Cups as a player.
After helping minority owner John Pickett, Jr. buy the franchise in 1979, Torrey was promoted to team president. In 1989, he added the title of chairman of the board.
first overall in the 1973 entry draft, Montreal Canadiens
General Manager Sam 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 defencemen and eventually became captain of the team.
In the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft
, Torrey had the 15th pick and had to make a tough decision between Mike Bossy
and another forward. Bossy was known as a scorer who couldn't check, while the other forward could check but wasn't very good offensively. Coach Al 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 also having strong defensive skills not commonly seen in other prominent forwards.
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 veterans Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to the Los Angeles Kings
in return for Butch Goring
. The trade is acknowledged as bringing in the "final piece of the puzzle": Goring was pivotal to the team's first Stanley Cup championship win and went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy
for the Islanders' second championship in 1981.
After star Pat LaFontaine
demanded a trade and held out for the start of the 1991–92 season, Torrey engineered a rebuilding project. He dealt Lafontaine, Randy Wood
, and Randy Hillier
(along with future considerations) to the Buffalo Sabres
in return for Pierre Turgeon
, Benoît Hogue
, Uwe Krupp
and Dave McLlwain. He also sent Brent Sutter
and Brad Lauer
to the Chicago Blackhawks
for Steve Thomas
and Adam Creighton
. The trades paid dividends in 1992–93 season where the Islanders' made a surprise playoff run to the Wales Conference Finals. They defeated the higher seeded Washington Capitals
and the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins
before falling to the Montreal Canadiens
, who went on to win the Cup. Turgeon himself hit career highs in goals and points and won the Lady Byng Trophy.
However, Torrey was not around to see this rebuilding bear fruit. Pickett had turned over day-to-day control to a management committee of four minority owners, and they weren't nearly as patient as Boe and Pickett had been before. After the Islanders missed the playoffs in 1992, Torrey was forced to resign.
, Torrey was named president and general manager of the Florida Panthers
, a new expansion team, in 1993. Torrey built his new team similarly to the Islanders, and within three years, the Panthers were in the Stanley Cup
finals. He retired in 2001.
in 1995. He is honored with a banner in Nassau Coliseum along with Al Arbour
and six of the players he drafted. While the players have their jersey numbers retired and Arbour has a similar banner with the number 1500, the number of games in which he coached the Islanders (until 2007, when he returned to coach one game, the number was 739, the number of wins he coached the Islanders to), Torrey's banner has the words "The Architect" and the image of a bowtie.
In 2001, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
.
On October 23, 2010, the Florida Panthers
honored Torrey by retiring the number 93, and raising a banner in his honor to the rafters. The 93 represents the year (1993) when the Panthers franchise was incorporated into the NHL.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s. He is known as "Bow-Tie" Bill, after the signature bow tie
Bow tie
The bow tie is a type of men's necktie. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip....
he always wore.
Oakland Seals
Bill Torrey began his hockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
career in the AHL in the mid-1960s, with the Pittsburgh Hornets, but his talent soon landed him a job as Vice-President of the Oakland Seals, a recently created expansion team in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. Torrey quickly forged a reputation as a shrewd executive, and his deals propelled the Seals from laughingstock to playoff contenders in his 2 plus seasons in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. He quickly soured on the experience, however, due to constant interference provided by owner Charlie Finley. Finley had a reputation of flamboyance, insisting his teams wore white skates and trying to convince the NHL to start using orange pucks. More importantly, Finley and Torrey clashed on issues ranging from personnel moves to marketing, and Torrey left the organization in 1971.
New York Islanders
In 1972, the expansion New York IslandersNew York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
hired Torrey as their General Manager. The organization's first employee, Torrey was given the formidable job of building the organization from scratch, in the shadows of the much more established New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. He added the title of vice president in 1973.
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.
In the Islanders' first two seasons, the team finished last in the league. However, those dreadful records netted them high picks in the draft. With those picks, Torrey quickly assembled a roster that rose from a doormat to an NHL power. It culminated in 1980, when the Islanders won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in only their eighth season of existence. Under Torrey, the Islanders won 6 Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...
titles, made five consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup finals, and won four Cups in a row 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983. His clubs had 14 consecutive winning seasons, from 1975–1988.
Along the way, he picked future Hall of Fame goalie Billy Smith
Billy Smith (ice hockey)
William John Smith, better known as Billy Smith, is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is best known for winning four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and being the first goalie to be credited with a goal....
in the team's original expansion draft, drafted five Hall of Fame players—Denis Potvin
Denis Potvin
Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...
, Clark Gillies
Clark Gillies
Clark "Jethro" Gillies is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He provided both physical presence and offensive punch for the NHL's New York Islanders during their four-year run as Stanley Cup champions. In a career that spanned 958 games, Gillies...
, Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier
Bryan John Trottier is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the...
, Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
, and Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
—in the entry draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
. He also hired as head coach Al Arbour
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, another Hall of Famer and winner of four Cups as a player.
After helping minority owner John Pickett, Jr. buy the franchise in 1979, Torrey was promoted to team president. In 1989, he added the title of chairman of the board.
Key transactions
Right after Torrey drafted Denis PotvinDenis Potvin
Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...
first overall in the 1973 entry draft, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
General Manager Sam Pollock
Sam Pollock
Samuel Patterson Smyth "Sam" Pollock, OC, CQ was a general manager in the National Hockey League.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Sam was a keen evaluator of talent. In 1950, with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and in 1958, with the Ottawa Junior Canadiens, he won the Memorial Cup...
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 defencemen and eventually became captain of the team.
In the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft
1977 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1977 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:...
, Torrey had the 15th pick and had to make a tough decision between Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
and another forward. Bossy was known as a scorer who couldn't check, while the other forward could check but wasn't very good offensively. Coach Al Arbour
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
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 also having strong defensive skills not commonly seen in other prominent forwards.
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 veterans Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in return for Butch Goring
Butch Goring
Robert "Butch" Goring is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. He is a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders. Since retiring as a player he has served as head coach of...
. The trade is acknowledged as bringing in the "final piece of the puzzle": Goring was pivotal to the team's first Stanley Cup championship win and went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
for the Islanders' second championship in 1981.
After star Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
demanded a trade and held out for the start of the 1991–92 season, Torrey engineered a rebuilding project. He dealt Lafontaine, Randy Wood
Randy Wood (ice hockey)
Randolph B. Wood is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars....
, and Randy Hillier
Randy Hillier
Randall George Hillier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.Hillier was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1980 while playing for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. He served the Bruins during his first three NHL seasons, but was best known for his seven seasons with the Pittsburgh...
(along with future considerations) to the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in return for Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...
, Benoît Hogue
Benoit Hogue
Benoît "Benny" Hogue is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left wing. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, 35th overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft....
, Uwe Krupp
Uwe Krupp
Uwe G. Krupp is a retired German professional hockey defenceman and current coach of the German national ice hockey team. Following Walt Tkaczuk, Krupp was only the second German-born player to have a lasting career in the National Hockey League...
and Dave McLlwain. He also sent Brent Sutter
Brent Sutter
Brent Colin Sutter is a retired National Hockey League player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. He won the...
and Brad Lauer
Brad Lauer
Brad R. Lauer is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Lauer was drafted 34th overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders and played in the National Hockey League for the Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Pittsburgh...
to the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
for Steve Thomas
Steve Thomas (ice hockey)
Stephen Antony "Stumpy” Thomas is a retired English-born Canadian ice hockey right winger who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Detroit Red Wings...
and Adam Creighton
Adam Creighton
-International:-External links:...
. The trades paid dividends in 1992–93 season where the Islanders' made a surprise playoff run to the Wales Conference Finals. They defeated the higher seeded Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
before falling to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, who went on to win the Cup. Turgeon himself hit career highs in goals and points and won the Lady Byng Trophy.
However, Torrey was not around to see this rebuilding bear fruit. Pickett had turned over day-to-day control to a management committee of four minority owners, and they weren't nearly as patient as Boe and Pickett had been before. After the Islanders missed the playoffs in 1992, Torrey was forced to resign.
Florida Panthers
Not long after being forced out in Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Torrey was named president and general manager of the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, a new expansion team, in 1993. Torrey built his new team similarly to the Islanders, and within three years, the Panthers were in the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals. He retired in 2001.
Honors
Torrey was elected to the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1995. He is honored with a banner in Nassau Coliseum along with Al Arbour
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and six of the players he drafted. While the players have their jersey numbers retired and Arbour has a similar banner with the number 1500, the number of games in which he coached the Islanders (until 2007, when he returned to coach one game, the number was 739, the number of wins he coached the Islanders to), Torrey's banner has the words "The Architect" and the image of a bowtie.
- Stanley Cup Champion - all with New York Islanders (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 as President/General Manager)
In 2001, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
The Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame honors elite athletes who have roots in Nassau County, New York. The Hall of Fame presentation takes places at the Nassau County Sports Commission "Salute to Champions" Awards Dinner annually every April.-Inductees:...
.
On October 23, 2010, the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
honored Torrey by retiring the number 93, and raising a banner in his honor to the rafters. The 93 represents the year (1993) when the Panthers franchise was incorporated into the NHL.