Bill Torrey once said that when he arrived in 1972 as the first employee of the expansion Islanders, “There was no office, no desk, not even a pencil.” From that humble start, he built the team into a dynasty and changed life on Long Island. For the indelible memories his blueprint produced, he has a banner above the team’s ice, depicting his trademark bow tie and his lasting title, “The Architect.”
It is a lasting tribute to the Hockey Hall of Fame executive, who died on Wednesday night. He was 83.
The NHL announced Torrey’s passing in a statement from commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday afternoon.