Bill Torrey

Bill Torrey
Bill Torrey in 2015
Born	(1934-06-23) June 23, 1934 (age 82) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Hockey executive
Known for	former general manager of the New York Islanders (1972–92)
Awards	Hockey Hall of Fame (1995)

William Arthur Torrey (born June 23, 1934) is a former 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 Cups. He is often known as "Bow-Tie" Bill, after the signature bow tie he always wore.

Bill Torrey began his hockey 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 wear 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.

In 1972, the expansion New York Islanders 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.