When Bill Torrey sat down for what was supposed to be a five-minute interview,
it didn';t go as scripted. You see, Mr. Torrey always had stories to tell,
ranging from his time with his first team, the Oakland Seals, or his last and
longest-tenured team, the Florida Panthers. But, the best stories - the ones
most people wanted to hear - were from his 20 years and four Stanley Cups with
the New York Islanders. Now, those stories will have to be retold by others. On
 May 2, 2018, Torrey, the Islanders'; first general manager, passed away at the
 age of 83.Bill Torrey - The Builder

When Bill Torrey joined the Islanders in February 1972, the team was your
prototypical startup, with an eager fan base, zero expectations, and a small
staff. In fact, he was the first hire by then-owner Roy Boe. Unlike today';s
Vegas Golden Knights, that first season was what you';d expect from a new
franchise - forgettable. But for year number two, the man who became known as
"The Architect", made a move that would lay the groundwork for a dynasty:
he hired Al Arbour.

"I think they had one of the most unique partnerships in the NHL," noted Bob
Nystrom who spent his career with the Islanders and won four Stanley Cups.
"They talked constantly about players and character ... I felt it was a little
bit more than a partnership that exists now between GMs and coaches because
[today] they';re always trying to protect their own turf. They worked
together."Bill Torrey hired Al Arbour as the Islanders'; second-ever head
coach. He would lead the team to four Stanley Cups. (Photo Credit:
Legendsofhockey.net)

In fact, Torrey and Arbour worked so well together because they had their roles
 clearly defined. Clark Gillies, who was a teammate of Nystrom';s on the
Islanders dynasty said that if you had an issue with playing time and you
talked to Torrey, he';d tell you to talk to Arbour instead.

"I don';t think you';ll find, in my opinion, a general manager and a coach that
 were on the same page for most of the time," said Gillies. "They always seemed
 to be together making the same decisions, the right decisions ... So I think
you couldn';t find a better combo than those two."

Former New York Rangers general manager Neil Smith, who was drafted by the
Islanders in 1974, moved into the front office as a pro scout in 1980 and got a
 firsthand look at this unique partnership.

"They were like salt and pepper, meaning you had to have one with the other,"
Smith said. "They offset each other. Al was pure hockey. He';d been a
defenseman in the league and knew the game really well from his years
struggling with glasses on to play in the league. Bill had been an executive
for a long time and knew how to run a staff and do contracts and have people
out there looking for talent. One did what the other one couldn';t do in my
opinion. But, they were like partners in that place ... Bill never interfered
with coaching and Al didn';t really interfere with management, so they were a
perfect tandem."The Architect

With Arbour firmly entrenched behind the bench, Torrey began focusing on
rebuilding the team from the ground up. He had already added Billy Smith in the
 expansion draft and drafted Billy Harris, Lorne Henning, and Nystrom in 1972.
The next few years he added gold medalist Ken Morrow and future Hall of Famers
Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, and Gillies.Torrey acquired Billy
Smith from the Los Angeles Kings in the 1972 expansion draft. He would win four
 Stanley Cups with the Islanders and the 1983 Conn Smythe Trophy. (Photo by B
Bennett/Getty Images)

"He was the original builder. He';s the guy in charge of putting the whole team
 together and I was very fortunate to be drafted by this franchise," commented
Gillies, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. "I have to
thank Bill for that, [for] eventually being part of one of the best ever
[franchises] ... Bill was a true believer in, I think, building from within. He
 drafted wisely and kept the players that he drafted."

These young players played an integral role in turning the Islanders around
from cellar-dwellers to top of the standings in a short time, and while Arbour
coached them on the ice, Torrey also played a role in developing their talent.

"My coach in juniors told me I';d never be drafted unless I fought more. But
Bill took a chance and drafted me in the third round," said Nystrom who was an
All-Star in 1977. "The first thing he said when I went down to sign my first
contract was 'I want you to take skating lessons.'; For a Canadian kid that
played hockey his whole life that was pretty, pretty harsh. But I took skating
lessons with Laura Stamm - she was a power skating instructor. It probably
helped me more than I could have ever imagined. He was a guy that was
instrumental in making me do that."

For Bill Torrey, building the Islanders dynasty was all about teamwork. He made
 sure to thank everyone else who played a part in helping the #Isles win four
straight Stanley Cup Championships.

We want to say thank you to him. pic.twitter.com/0oGs1CjUB0

- New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 4, 2018

While Torrey was a skilled master at selecting draft picks that would become
key cogs in the Islanders'; engine, he was also deft at making trades that
would steer the club towards its destiny. The master GM traded for Washington
Capitals defenseman Gord Lane who brought toughness to the backend in late
1979, and, in what many consider the greatest trade in Islanders history, for
centerman Butch Goring from the Los Angeles Kings in March 1980.

"What it did as far as I';m concerned is that it gave us two experienced
centermen with Trots and Butch," emphasized Gillies. "Both very, very good on
the power play. Both very, very smart on penalty killing. So it gave us two
solid units to run. Our first two lines were as good as anybody';s."By the end
of their 11th season, the New York Islanders had captured four Stanley Cups.
(Mike Moore - Private Collection)

"[Torrey] understood character and how important it was and the players that he
 gathered had the same common goal," added Nystrom. "He was absolutely amazing
in that respect. The trade he made in ';80 for Butch Goring, that was a deal
that put us over the top because Butch came in and was a great second centerman
 and Ken Morrow [being added to the roster after the 1980 Olympics] was just so
 instrumental in us winning the Cup."

Just eight seasons into his tenure as GM of the Islanders Torrey would reach
the pinnacle of the hockey world. Between 1980 and 1983 they won four
consecutive Stanley Cups, all with Torrey and Arbour leading the charge. Many
say the Islanders dynasty will never be duplicated, which isn';t surprising
given the turnover in today';s game and the fact that the Islanders had 16
players suit up for all four championship teams. Of the team';s four Conn
Smythe Trophy winners, two were drafted by the club (Bryan Trottier and Mike
Bossy), one was an expansion pick (Smith) and the last was the player everyone
said pulled it all together - Goring.The Manager

While "The Architect" played a crucial role in moving the Islanders from
expansion team to Stanley Cup Champion, the Hockey Hall of Fame member was also
 deft when it came time to negotiate with his players.

"Well he was pretty harsh," said Nystrom who always respected Torrey, but knew
him to be a tough negotiator when it came to signing a contract. "He protected
the ownership and he got the best contract he could with the player. Often
times players didn';t like it, but he was a good negotiator.

When I scored the [Stanley Cup Finals overtime] winning goal in the ';80
playoffs, the first offering he gave me was a $5,000 pay cut because he said I
didn';t have a really good year." Nystrom can tell that story with a laugh
today because he scored 21 goals that season and had nine in the playoffs,
including the clinching goal.

Torrey would also find the best deal outside of the rink.

"Whenever we played golf he always seemed to get the edge," remembered Gillies,
 also with a laugh. "I';d say, 'What';s your handicap?'; He';d go, 'I need to
get five a side';. And he';d turn around and he';d beat the hell out of you and
 I';d go, 'Why are you getting five a side';. I shouldn';t have negotiated that
 deal."

Condolences to the family of Bill Torrey, the brilliant "Architect" who passed
away today.  He masterfully built the Greatest Modern Sports Dynasty, the
4-Straight #StanleyCup Champion @NYIslanders teams of 1980-84.  The @nhl
mourns.  #BowitiesInHeaven pic.twitter.com/7Y5qMt91cQ

- Michael Elhardt (@EndlssQuest) May 3, 2018

Fiercely loyal to the Islanders during his tenure, he was also tough when it
came to the club';s main rival, the New York Rangers.

"I looked up to Bill so much and was so lucky to be with the Islanders in those
 early ';80s," explained Smith, who modeled his management style after Torrey.
"Then I went away to Detroit for seven years and I';d see Bill Torrey when I
would be at an Islander game and he was always really nice to me. Then I got
the job as the GM of the Rangers and of course, Bill hated the Rangers. But I
was like, 'Bill it';s me. Bill, it';s me'; ...  I think that no matter
whatever happened I always would look up to Bill. He was the one who gave me my
 first chance ever."The Legend

When you talk to anyone who interacted with Torrey during his almost 50 years
in the NHL, the word 'respect'; flows freely, whether it was the respect Torrey
 showed them or the respect they showed him.

"The thing is that it wasn';t only about playing hockey it was about being a
better person and understanding your commitment to the community," expressed
Nystrom who, like many of his teammates lived on Long Island long after his
playing days ended. "If you look at the folks that played for the New York
Islanders, they learned more than just playing hockey. They learned about life
and what';s expected of a person and how you can be a better person. It was a
great life experience for all of us and I think most of the guys that played
for Al and Bill became better human beings because of it."Bill Torrey will
forever be remembered for bringing a championship team to Long Island. (Photo
by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

Over the course of his twenty years with the Islanders, Bill Torrey would head
to Uniondale on Long Island in his trademark bow tie. He would walk through the
 Nassau Coliseum';s glass doors and head down the stairs into the bowels of the
 building. To the right was the Islanders'; offices where he built his team.
Ahead of him was the ice where the team would celebrate four Stanley Cups.
Hanging high above that ice today is a banner that simply states Torrey "The
Architect" with his trademark bow tie.

While it';s been decades since his tenure on Long Island, he left a legacy that
 will likely not be replicated.

Four Stanley Cups.

William Torrey brought silver to the blue-collar communities of Long Island.
But, as Gillies said, "It seemed that everything he did, turned to gold."

* originally published in May 2018

The post NHL Legend Bill Torrey & His Islanders Legacy appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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