Raffi Torres
A hard-hitting winger whose physical play and playoff performances defined a journeyman NHL career spanning eight different teams.
Born 1981 (age 45)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: October 8·Millennials
Biography
Raffi Torres entered the league with the burden of expectation as a fifth-overall draft pick, a power forward prototype with a knack for timely goals. While he never became a perennial star, Torres crafted a specific and impactful role: a punishing presence who could tilt a playoff series. His most memorable moments came in the postseason, where his aggressive forechecking and ability to score gritty goals made him a fan favorite in Vancouver and San Jose. His style, however, often skirted the line of the league's safety rules, leading to suspensions that marked the latter part of his career. Torres’s path through the NHL—wearing eight different sweaters—reflects the life of a specialist whose particular set of skills was constantly in demand, yet whose approach became increasingly scrutinized in a changing hockey landscape.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Raffi was born in 1981, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Raffi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1981
#1 Movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Raffi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1981Born
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1986Started school
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1994Became a teenager
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Could drive
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
1999Could vote
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Turned 21
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2011Turned 30
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 40
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 45 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Drafted 5th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
- Scored 14 goals during the 2005-06 season with the Edmonton Oilers, a career high.
- Played a key physical role in the Vancouver Canucks' 2011 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
- Recorded 19 points in 39 games for the San Jose Sharks during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
- His overtime goal in Game 1 of the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals was a pivotal moment for San Jose.
Did You Know?
He is of Portuguese descent on his father's side.
Torres played his junior hockey for the Brampton Battalion in the OHL.
He was traded from the Islanders to the Oilers in the deal that sent Michael Peca to New York.
During the 2012 NHL lockout, he played for EC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.
He officially announced his retirement from professional hockey in 2017.
“I played the game hard. You have to make your presence felt every shift.”
