Hall of Famer architect of Isles dynasty
SUNRISE, FLA. • Bill Torrey, the jovial bow-tie wearing Hall of Famer who was the general manager of the New York Islanders when they won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s and eventually became the first president of the Florida Panthers, has died.
Torrey died at his home in South Florida on Wednesday, the NHL said. He was 83.
Torrey, who spent the last years of his career as an adviser to Florida general manager Dale Tallon and also serving as the franchise’s alternate governor, was at work like usual in his Panthers’ office earlier this week.
“Bill was a giant of our game,” Tallon said. “He was the architect of a dynasty, a Hockey Hall of Famer and most importantly, a committed family man. I’m heartbroken by the news of his passing. Bill was a mentor and a dear friend who was instrumental in bringing me to South Florida to work alongside him. He was a wonderful person who never lost his passion for the game and loved being at the rink.”
Torrey left an indelible impact on hockey.
He was the first employee in Islanders history when the franchise was born in 1972, and the team raised a banner in his honour years ago calling him “The Architect.” Torrey then became Florida’s first president and the Panthers gave him a banner in 2010 with the number “93” — a nod to 1993, when the team played its first game. Florida reached the Stanley Cup final in 1996 under Torrey.
William A. Torrey was born June 23, 1934, in Montreal. Torrey is survived by four sons, a brother, a sister and 10 grandchildren..