Artūrs Irbe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Artūrs Irbe |
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Irbe in 2023
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| Born | 2 February 1967 Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goaltender | ||||||||||||||||||
| Caught | Left | ||||||||||||||||||
| Played for | Dynamo Riga San Jose Sharks Dallas Stars Vancouver Canucks Carolina Hurricanes HK Riga 2000 EC Red Bull Salzburg SK Rīga 20 Hk Dynamax Oil Nitra |
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| National team |  Soviet Union and Latvia |
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| NHL Draft | 196th overall, 1989 Minnesota North Stars |
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| Playing career | 1981–2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Artūrs Irbe (born 2 February 1967) is a famous Latvian professional ice hockey coach and former goaltender. He was born when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union. Irbe played for many Soviet teams and the Soviet Union's national team. Later, he moved to North America in 1991.
Irbe played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams like the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, and Carolina Hurricanes. In 2004, he went back to Europe to play until he retired in 2007. After his playing career, he became a goaltending coach. He coached for Dinamo Riga, the Washington Capitals, and the Buffalo Sabres. He also coached the Latvia men's national ice hockey team. In 2010, he was added to the IIHF Hall of Fame, which is a big honor in hockey.
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Artūrs Irbe's Hockey Journey
Artūrs Irbe was chosen by the Minnesota North Stars in the 10th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 196th player picked overall.
His first professional team was Dinamo Riga in the Soviet Hockey League. This was from 1987 to 1991. In the 1987–88 season, he became their main goalie. He helped Dinamo Riga reach the finals of the Soviet Hockey League. They lost to CSKA Moscow, a very strong team.
During this time, he also played for the Soviet Union in the World Championships in 1989 and 1990. The Soviet team won gold medals in both championships. Irbe was even named the best goalie of the 1990 tournament!
In 1991, he chose not to play for the Soviet Union. This was because Latvia had declared its independence from the Soviet Union. When the Soviet government sent tanks into Riga, Irbe bravely joined others to protect buildings and landmarks.
Playing in the NHL
Irbe started his North American career with the Kansas City Blades. This team was linked to the San Jose Sharks. In the 1991–92 season, he helped the Blades win the Turner Cup championship.
He also played 14 games with the San Jose Sharks in the 1991–92 season. He stayed with the Sharks until the 1995–96 season. With Irbe as goalie, the Sharks made their first playoff appearance in the 1993–94 season. They even surprised the top-ranked Detroit Red Wings by beating them! That season, Irbe played an amazing 4,412 minutes in goal. Fans called him "Archie" and "The Wall" because he was so good. He is still a fan favorite in San Jose. After an injury and a tough 1995–96 season, the Sharks let him go.
For the next two years, Irbe was a backup goalie for the Dallas Stars and the Vancouver Canucks. He played well for both teams. Then, he became the main goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 1998–99 season. He was chosen for the NHL All-Star team that season. He was the first goalie to get an assist in an NHL All-Star Game!
The best part of his time with the Hurricanes was the 2001–02 season. Irbe was key in leading the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup finals. They played against the Detroit Red Wings but lost in the end.
Later Career and Return to Europe
After a difficult 2002–03 season, Irbe was sent to the Johnstown Chiefs in the ECHL, a lower hockey league. He played very well there, winning 8 out of 11 games. He was even picked for the ECHL All-Star Game. In March 2004, he was called back to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Irbe played his last NHL game on April 4, 2004. He was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in June 2004. However, he never played for them because the NHL season was canceled due to a lockout. After that, Irbe decided to play in Europe.
He played for HK Riga 2000 in Latvia and EC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria during the 2004–05 season. He also played briefly for HK Dynamax Nitra in Slovakia.
His Unique Equipment
Artūrs Irbe was easy to spot on the ice because of his helmet and padding. He wore them for a very long time, and they were full of puck marks and stains! Because of this, he earned the nickname "Michelin Man". He even once put an ad in a newspaper looking for a specific old goalie mask called a Jofa mask.
Coaching Career
In 2008, Irbe became the goaltending coach for Dinamo Riga. In 2009, he moved to North America to coach for the Washington Capitals in the NHL. He left the Capitals in 2011 to spend more time with his family.
In 2013, Irbe became an assistant coach for the Latvia men's national ice hockey team. He later joined the Buffalo Sabres as an assistant coach in 2014. While coaching for Buffalo in 2014, at age 47, Irbe even dressed as a backup goalie for one game when the team's main goalie was injured!
In 2017, Irbe became a consultant for a Latvian hockey club called HK Kurbads. Most recently, in 2023, Irbe helped the Latvian national team win a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship as a goaltending coach. The Latvian team's goalie, Artūrs Šilovs, was named the MVP of the tournament!
Personal Life
Artūrs Irbe is also involved with the Kids First Fund. This is a non-profit group in the United States that helps abused and abandoned children in Latvia.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Irbe had the honor of being Latvia's flag-bearer during the opening ceremonies.
Awards and Honors
Artūrs Irbe has received many awards throughout his career:
- International Awards
- EJC Best Goaltender: 1985
- WC Best Goaltender: 1990
- IIHF Hall of Fame: 2010
- IIHF All-Time Latvia Team: 2020
- Soviet Awards
- Rookie of the Year: 1988
- IHL Awards
- Turner Cup: 1992
- IHL First All-Star Team: 1992
- James Norris Memorial Trophy (IHL): 1992 (Shared with Wade Flaherty)
- NHL Awards
- NHL All-Star Game: 1994, 1999
- San Jose Sharks Awards
- Player of the Year: 1994
- ECHL Awards
- ECHL All-Star Game: 2004 (Did not play due to wrist injury)
- San Jose Awards
- San Jose Sports Hall of Fame: 2010
