Historical Hurricanes: Artūrs Irbe’s Chaotic Style Impacts Raleigh – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

As we continue on our “Historical Hurricanes” series, we move back into the crease for the Carolina Hurricanes. While Cam Ward played the longest in Raleigh as a netminder and set records all over the place, there was another beloved goalie. Before Ward helped the Hurricanes win the 2006 Stanley Cup, Artūrs Irbe was the guy who held it down in the crease as the team made the 2002 Stanley Cup Final.

Irbe Bringing the Chaos to Carolina

Before Irbe played for the Hurricanes, he was drafted 196th overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. That was when there was a 10th round in the draft. It wasn’t until 1991-92 that Irbe made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks. He went 2-6-3 with a 4.46 goals-against average (GAA) and a .868 save percentage (SV%) in 13 games.

After five seasons with the Sharks, along with a season each with the Dallas Stars and the Vancouver Canucks, the Latvian netminder made his way to Raleigh in 1998-99 at 31 years old. In his first season with the Hurricanes, Irbe went 27-20-12 in 61 starts with a .923 SV% and a 2.22 GAA. He also finished with six shutouts that season and eighth in Vezina Trophy voting.

Over the next two seasons, Irbe led the league in games played, 75 in 1999-00 and 77 in 2000-01. That was in an era when there was a designated netminder who started pretty close to every game. During the 2000-01 season, Irbe had a record of 37-29-9, with a .908 SV%, 2.45 GAA, six shutouts, and a league-leading 4,405:39 of ice time. After that season, Irbe finished 28th in Hart Trophy voting and 10th in Vezina Trophy voting.

However, it was the 2001-02 season when Irbe became even more of an icon in Raleigh. During the regular season, he had a 20-19-11 record with a .902 SV%, a 2.54 GAA, and three shutouts in 49 starts. Despite those numbers being down compared to previous seasons, Irbe went to another level in the playoffs.

In the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Irbe helped lead the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings. The Hurricanes were defeated in five games by Detroit, but Irbe finished the playoffs with a 10-8-0 record, a .938 SV%, a 1.67 GAA, and a shutout in 18 games (17 starts).

While he had a 13-year career, Irbe spent the last six seasons with the Hurricanes from 1998-99 through 2003-04. In 309 games (301 starts), he finished with a 130-122-44 record, a .906 SV%, a 2.49 GAA, 20 shutouts, and four assists. Regarding all-time franchise goalie records, Irbe is second in games played, wins, shutouts, and tied for eighth in points. He only trails Ward in the first three stats, who had 668 games played, 318 wins, and 27 shutouts.

When it comes down to it, Irbe was one of the earliest Hurricanes goalies to love in the crease during his time in Raleigh. Despite not winning the Stanley Cup in 2002, Irbe was holding down the fort for the last six seasons of his career in a newer market. His old-school bucket helmet, all-white pads, and chaotic, flashy saves mesmerized fans over the span of six seasons.

Furthermore, he is still held in high regard for how he went all-out game in and game out, even when he played in 75 or more games a season. If there were a goalie Mount Rushmore in Raleigh, Irbe would be on it, right beside Ward.