Goaltender Mike Torchia turned many heads with his solid play in the Kitchener Rangers net en route to a berth in the 1990 Memorial Cup Finals. Though his Rangers fell to the Oshawa Generals Torchia's solid netminding earned him a spot on the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.
Torchia spent five games with the Canadian National Team during the 1992-93 campaign, but spent the rest of that year getting his first season as a professional under his belt toiling for the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League. In April of 1995, during his third year with the Wings Torchia was summoned by the Dallas Stars, who owned his NHL rights.
Torchia made his NHL debut on April 2nd and surrendered just 1 goals in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Over that month he made five more appearances and managed a total of three wins. That summer the Stars sold the young netminders rights to the Washington Capitals.
Torchia had a busy 1995-96 season when he suited up for five different clubs in three different leagues, and got traded by Washington to Anaheim at the deadline. Though he wore five different uniforms that year, none of them belonged to either NHL club that held his rights.
Torchia, who battled weight problems that hurt his conditioning, spent the next two seasons in minor-pro then in 1998-99 he joined HC Asagio of the Italian League. In 1999 he returned to North America and split his season between the East Coast Hockey League's Birmingham Bulls and the Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the United League. While with the Prowlers Torchia achieved personal glory when he scored a goal.
In 2000 he headed back to Europe, this time going to Britain to play in the Super League. Torchia joined the Sheffield Steelers then moved on to the Manchester Storm for the 2001-02 campaign.
