Bill Torrey, the legendary general manager of the Islanders who was the architect for the four straight Stanley Cups at the start of the 1980s along with the unbeatable record of 19 straight postseason series victories, died late Wednesday night at his home in Florida. He was 83.
Torrey took over the Islanders in their inaugural season of 1972-73, going on to serve as the franchise’s president (1980-89) and chairman of the board (1989-92), before moving on to the Panthers for their inaugural season of 1993-94, where he held many positions over the past 25 years.
“Bill set the model for how to build a franchise with the leadership he instilled through his coaching staff, his innovative drafting methods and the trades he executed,” Islanders president and general manager Garth Snow said in a statement.