F. Raphael "Raffi" Torres, born on October 8, 1981, is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward. Before his retirement in November 2016, he played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his physical, forechecking style and offensive capabilities, Torres' career was marked by both achievements and controversies.
Raffi Torres with the Oilers in 2006
Early Career and Draft
Torres was drafted by the New York Islanders fifth overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He played major junior with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), beginning in 1998-99. In his rookie season, he scored at a point-per-game pace with 35 goals and 62 points, second in team-scoring to Jason Spezza. Improving to a team-leading 43 goals and 91 points in his second junior season, he finished seventh in league scoring and was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team.
Going into the 2000 NHL Entry Draft as a top prospect, Torres was selected in the first round, fifth overall, by the New York Islanders.
Professional Career
New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers
Beginning in 2001-02, he turned professional with the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Later that month, he was re-assigned to Bridgeport for the remainder of the campaign. He finished with 20 goals and 30 points over 55 games with the Sound Tigers. Torres began the 2002-03 season in Bridgeport for the second consecutive year. He received four call-ups to New York over the campaign, recording five assists over 17 games. He spent the better part of two seasons in the AHL before the Islanders traded him to the Oilers in 2003.
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Following the trade, the Oilers assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he played the final 11 games of the regular season. Between Bridgeport and Hamilton, Torres notched 18 goals and 40 points over 60 games in his second AHL campaign. For the second consecutive year, he appeared in the Calder Cup Finals and lost.
He began the 2003-04 season in the NHL, earning a roster spot with the Oilers. He scored his first NHL goal on October 9, 2003, against goaltender Evgeni Nabokov during a game against the San Jose Sharks. During the campaign, Torres was chosen to represent the Western Conference at the 2004 NHL YoungStars Game. He recovered to finish the season with 20 goals and 34 points over 80 games.
He played five seasons in Edmonton, becoming a full-time NHL player with the club. With the NHL set to resume play for the 2005-06 season, Torres re-signed with the Oilers to a two-year deal on August 16, 2005. Returning to the Oilers, he scored a career-high 27 goals and 41 points. He recorded career numbers as an Oiler in 2005-06, while also helping them to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. In 2006-07, Torres recorded 15 goals and 34 points.
Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres
On July 1, 2008, Torres was traded in the off-season to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Gilbert Brulé. He missed 10 games to begin the 2008-09 campaign with a separated right shoulder. A month later, on December 2, 2008, he underwent surgery for an injured knee and missed an additional 19 games. With an injury-shortened season for the second consecutive year, he recorded 12 goals and 20 points over 51 games.
The following season, on March 3, 2010, Torres was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenceman Nathan Paetsch and a second-round draft pick. He had recorded 19 goals and 31 points over 60 games with Columbus before the trade. In 14 games with Buffalo, he notched five assists. The Sabres entered the 2010 playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
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Vancouver Canucks
On July 1, 2010, Torres became an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Canucks. Later in the season, Torres was suspended four games for a hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle during a game on April 6, 2011. Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told media that he "strongly disagree[d] with it", while Torres argued that he did not stick out his elbow or leave his feet to make the hit and that Eberle raised his hand in defence of the oncoming check, indicating that it was not a blindside hit. Eberle was not injured on the play. The suspension ended Torres' regular season as the Canucks had two games remaining. He finished with 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in 80 games.
Returning for Game 3 of the opening playoff round against the Chicago Blackhawks, Torres received further scrutiny around the league for a hit on Blackhawks' defenceman Brent Seabrook. Although he received a minor penalty on the play, Torres did not receive further suspension from the league. Later in the game, Torres hit Seabrook a second time, taking the defenceman out of the next two games due to concussion-like symptoms. Vancouver went on to win the series in seven games, before defeating the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks en route to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.
In the opening game of the Finals, Torres scored the game-winner and only goal of the game against the Boston Bruins with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. He would also record an assist on the only goal in Game 5 by Maxim Lapierre for another 1-0 win in the series for a 3-2 series lead.
Raffi Torres suspended 25 games 4/21/12
Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks
On July 1, 2011, Torres signed a two-year contract worth $3.5 million with the Phoenix Coyotes. He recorded his first goal nearly a month into the 2011-12 season, in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on October 25, 2011. Torres continued to build a reputation for targeting opponents' heads. He was fined $2,500 for striking Jan Hejda in the head with his forearm in a December 29, 2011, game against the Colorado Avalanche. In an April 17, 2012, game during Phoenix's first round playoff series against Chicago, Torres jumped into a hit that contacted Marian Hossa's head.
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While Torres was not penalized on the play, the NHL characterized the hit as violating league rules on interference, charging and illegal contact to the head. Citing his previous history, league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan suspended Torres for 25 games for the hit-tied for the second-longest suspension for an on-ice incident in modern NHL history-sidelining Torres for the rest of the playoffs. The league reduced Torres' suspension to 21 games on appeal over the summer.
On April 3, 2013, Torres was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a third-round draft pick in the 2013 draft. On April 16, 2013, Torres made his first shootout attempt in two years against the Los Angeles Kings to give the Sharks the 3-2 victory. Torres scored the game-winning goal in overtime of game two of round one against his former team, the Vancouver Canucks.
In game one of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Kings, Torres recorded a hit on Jarret Stoll, injuring him. The hit was an illegal check to the head and Torres was a repeat offender; therefore, on May 16, the NHL suspended Torres for the remainder of the second round, which the Sharks lost. On June 20, 2013, the Sharks announced that they had re-signed Torres to a three-year contract.
In the second 2013 preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks, Torres collided with Emerson Etem, causing Torres to injure his ACL, and was out until mid-February. Torres returned to the Sharks on February 27 against the Flyers. Torres recorded three points during the Sharks' opening round, seven game loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On October 3, 2015, in a preseason game against the Ducks, Torres was assessed a match penalty for a late, illegal check to the head of forward Jakob Silfverberg. The NHL stated the hit would be under review, and, on October 5, Torres was suspended a record 41 games by the league, half of the regular season. Torres forfeited $440,860.29 in salary, which was deposited into the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Torres holds the distinction of the longest non-lifetime ban, which was previously held by Chris Simon for an incident in 2007. This is also the longest-ever NHL suspension for a hit on another player. Torres did not appeal the suspension and apologized to Silfverberg.
After returning from his suspension, the Sharks assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda on a conditioning loan. He never returned to the Sharks. On August 30, 2016, Torres signed a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes but was released on October 6. He retired in November 2016.
International Play
Torres represented Canada with the country's under-20 team at the 2001 World Junior Championships in Moscow.
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | Brampton Battalion | OHL | 63 | 35 | 27 | 62 | 104 |
| 1999-2000 | Brampton Battalion | OHL | 64 | 43 | 48 | 91 | 120 |
| 2000-01 | Brampton Battalion | OHL | 59 | 27 | 39 | 66 | 111 |
| 2001-02 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 72 | 20 | 17 | 37 | 124 |
| 2002-03 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 43 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 77 |
| 2002-03 | New York Islanders | NHL | 17 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 2002-03 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 11 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 25 |
| 2003-04 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 20 | 14 | 34 | 135 |
| 2005-06 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 27 | 14 | 41 | 118 |
| 2006-07 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 74 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 120 |
| 2007-08 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 63 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 91 |
| 2008-09 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 51 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 103 |
| 2009-10 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 60 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 106 |
| 2009-10 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 14 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 27 |
Controversies
Torres was suspended five times for illegal hits to opponents' heads. He received the fourth-longest suspension in the history of the NHL at the time for his hit to the head of Marian Hossa in Game 3 of the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals. In October 2015, Torres received a 41-game (half-season) suspension for an illegal hit on Anaheim player Jakob Silfverberg.