Torchetti played prep school hockey for the powerful New Preparatory School of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a post-graduate at the age of eighteen under the coaching tutelage of the regionally renowned George Kozack. Before attending New Prep School, Torchetti played for Jamaica Plain High School in the Boston City League, where he set state scoring records, superseding the ones achieved in the late 1960s by Robbie Ftorek of Needham High School. Torchetti started his professional career as a member of the Carolina Thunderbirds, where he would spend seven of his eight seasons. Torchetti led the All-American Hockey League in goals, assists, and points during the 1987–88 AAHL season. He would have a brief call-up with the Binghamton Whalers of the American Hockey League at the start of the 1988–89 season, but returned to Carolina, which had since helped found the East Coast Hockey League, after ten games. After eight seasons in the minors, Torchetti retired from hockey after the 1990–91 ECHL season.
Coaching career
His first coaching assignment came as an assistant coach for the Greensboro Monarchs of the ECHL. His first head coaching position was with the San Antonio Iguanas of the Central Hockey League, where he took over when Bill Goldsworthy became ill. He coached the Iguanas to the finals twice in two years and won the Commissioner's Trophy for coach of the year in 1995. After spending the first half of the 1996–97 season as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Dragons of the International Hockey League, Torchetti became head coach of the Fort Wayne Komets. In 1998, he won the Commissioners' Trophy. Before the 1999–2000 NHL season Torchetti was hired as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning under Steve Ludzik. In 2002, Torchetti returned to San Antonio when he was hired as head coach of the San Antonio Rampage in the American Hockey League. After 65 games he was promoted to assistant coach with the parent club, the Florida Panthers. In 2004, he served 27 games as interim head coach, replacing Rick Dudley. He finished with a 10–12–4–1 record before being replaced by Jacques Martin. During the 2005–06 NHL season, Torchetti was hired by Dave Taylor as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. With a chance to clinch a playoff spot, he had a 5–7 record in the team's final 12 games and was not retained by the Kings, instead being replaced by Marc Crawford. In 2006, he was hired by the Moncton Wildcats to replace Ted Nolan as head coach and director of hockey operations. He coached the team to a 39–25–0–4 record and a third-placed finish in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Eastern Division. The Wildcats were eliminated in the first round by the Halifax Mooseheads. Torchetti was hired as an associate coach for the Chicago Blackhawks on May 16, 2007, and won his first Stanley Cup in 2010. On July 8, 2010, it was announced that Torchetti has been hired by the Atlanta Thrashers as the associate head coach under Craig Ramsay. On July 5, 2011, he was announced as the new head coach of the Houston Aeros in the AHL, replacing Mike Yeo. On June 24, 2013, he was introduced as the new head coach of the Kontinental Hockey League's CSKA Moscow. On November 12, 2014, he was announced as the head coach of the Iowa Wild. He replaced Kurt Kleinendorst, who had started the season with a 2–10 record. This marked a return to a franchise he led in Houston. On February 13, 2016, Torchetti he was promoted to the interim head coach of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. On June 9, 2016, Torchetti was named an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings. On January 15, 2019, Torchetti was announced to return as the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Moncton Wildcats. On December 14, 2019, the Wildcats announced that Torchetti was fired, a decision made due to "internal reasons."
