Florida Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad always relished the opportunity to talk with Bill Torrey.
No matter the circumstance, Bjugstad said, Torrey’s infectious positive persona and vast knowledge of the game made it tough to leave the conversation without a smile and a newfound nugget of information or two.
“Win or lose, he always kind of had that energy that it’s a fun game that we’re playing. He always made you feel like you were special,” Bjugstad said. “It didn’t matter who you were.”
That made Torrey’s death in May at the age of 83 in his West Palm Beach home even harder to fathom for the Panthers organization.