Drafted in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, Robertson was traded to the Hartford Whalers in 1983. Primarily known as an enforcer, he is the Whalers' all-time penalty minutes leader with 1368 penalty minutes. Torrie Robertson swept through his junior career with the Victoria Cougars of the WHL like a hurricane who could score and fight at the same time. Between 1978 and 1981, he racked up a blend of penalty minutes and points that tended to pique the interest of NHL teams in the hunt for power forwards.