Islanders & Florida Panthers Architect Bill Torrey Still Has DNA All Over This Year's Stanley Cup Win

After a rollercoaster Stanley Cup Final win, the “Architect” of the original Florida Panthers, Bill Torrey’s son Rich, reflects on the Panthers franchise’s very beginning and winning a Cup in this exclusive interview:

THN: What does it mean to you and your family to have the Florida Panthers, the “other” organization your dad started, finally win a Stanley Cup?

Rich Torrey: It’s huge. From the time he was unceremoniously let go by the Islanders, he put every ounce of his energy into securing South Florida as a home for hockey.

He “retired” several times during his tenure with the Panthers only to be called back to the front lines to help save that franchise during turbulent times-of which there were many. In a way, I think he saw the Panthers like that surprise last (problem) child that required a lot of hands-on rearing. Almost separate from that, he never lost that drive to get one more Cup; one more ring. It was his raison d’etre .

THN: I’m sure your dad, Bill, is amongst other hockey gods that are looking down watching the Florida Panthers win a Cup… What do you think your dad is thinking/feeling?

Rich Torrey: First and foremost, he’s feeling unbridled happiness for the Panther players and the Panther fans of South Florida, who are often an afterthought in the whole NHL league equation. It’s been evident listening to the broadcasts of playoff games for the past few years. They just don’t get the respect they would have had they been playing in the Northeast or in some other major city. And the fans are seen as half-hearted…which they are not.

So he is thrilled beyond belief for them. I imagine him being very happy for the current owners as well as for Wayne and Marty Huizenga as well. I also think he’s feeling a bit of deja vu watching this team perform in a very similar manner that the cup era Islander teams played and getting about the same amount of respect...Whatever style the opponent wanted to play, they can match and beat it.

THN: What do you remember about when your dad was first hired by the Florida Panthers?

Rich Torrey: He was still smarting from his departure from the Islanders. There were numerous teams reaching out to him. Wayne Huizenga was the one who convinced him to help with what would be my dad’s third expansion team. He dove in and never looked back.

THN: What are a few of your memories from when your dad was running the Florida Panthers?

Rich Torrey: Those first few years were an incredible workload. Not only to get the team up and running but to convince the good people of South Florida to care about them. On top of that, there was the need to find a location and build a new arena and practice facility. He literally was going 24/7 for the first four or five years. The early success was really exciting and made all those efforts pretty satisfying. And Wayne was a fantastic owner to work for. Maybe his best experience with ownership in all his years in the league.

THN: Aside from getting to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996, what was the best moment?

Rich Torrey: I think the opening of the new arena was a huge moment for him. It showed this team was here to stay. It was now their home. His time with Dale Tallon was also very satisfying for him. I think he felt that after a decade of bad ownership, which resulted in a lot of bad hires and fires, his efforts, along with Dale's, sort of righted the ship and got the Panthers headed in the direction they now find themselves in. I would also say that having a banner raised in his name down there was also a very special moment. Not that he ever cared about personal recognition, but I think it was a little stamp on all the hard work he had put in Panther Land.

THN: Why did your father love working for the Florida Panthers so much?

Rich Torrey: I’ll go back to what I said about the team being like that surprise last child in a family. There is an extra effort and focus on them. It was going to be his final legacy. He would have done anything to help them grow and succeed. They were his baby. And now they’re all grown up!

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