IVAN IRWIN: 1927-2019

Ivan Duane Irwin was born on March 13, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois. When Ivan was a young boy, his father decided to move his family to Canada. Irwin passed away this morning in Ajax, Ontario at the age of 91.

He didn't become interested in hockey until he was 16 years-old. As one writer noted, "He picked-up the game like a natural improving with finesse in every outing."

In 1943-44, Irwin skated in a hand-full of games for Northern Vocational High School in Toronto and played midget hockey for the Scarboro Colts. In a 3-1 loss against the Sammy Taft midgets on February 15, 1944, the Toronto Daily Star observed that, "Ivan Irwin was a standout for the losers."

Irwin played Junior B hockey in the OHA with the Scarboro Rangers. His work on the blueline didn't go unnoticed. After one playoff game in March 1946, The Globe and Mail noted:

But the real star of a magnificent exhibition was tall blonde Ivan Irwin, Rangers right defenceman, who belted Dels (De La Salle Oaklands High School) into submission in the first two periods, scored a goal and made plays for two others. In this book Irwin is the best prospect to be seen here in several years.  

In April 1947, he was selected to play in a tournament featuring youngsters from Ontario in a series of East versus West contests held at Maple Leaf Gardens. His coach on the East squad was former Toronto Maple Leaf great, Charlie Conacher. After ending his pro career, Irwin would once again lace-up his skates to play for the NHL Oldtimers with Charlie Conacher's son, Peter.

When Irwin wasn't playing hockey, he'd trade in his hockey gloves for a baseball glove. On a pleasant summer night in July 1945, Jerry Junkin pitched his fifth consecutive victory in a Scarboro Softball League contest. Junkin was a member of the Hollywood Wolves in the Pacific Coast Hockey League in 1944-45. A newspaper report informed that although being on the losing team, "Ivan Irwin .... starred for the Wrights," against Junkin's Evans team.

After Junior hockey, Irwin began his one-year stint with the Boston Olympics in 1947-48. His progression as a rough, physical defenceman continued with the Olympics. In a Quebec Senior Hockey League game against the Ottawa Senators, Irwin went toe-to-toe with Senators tough guy, Jack Irvine. His nickname, "Ivan the Terrible," reflected his style of play. He stood at 6'2" and weighed 185 pounds. Irwin's size enabled him to manhandle the opposition and protect his teammates.

While playing the next two seasons with Sherbrooke in the QSHL, Irwin's career was on the rise. In the autumn of 1949, the American Hockey League Cincinnati Mohawks gave him a three game tryout. His first coach in Cincy was the legendary Francis "King" Clancy. He made the most of the opportunity and remained with the Mohawks.

Cincinnati scribe, Whitney Tower, wrote that Irwin was "as unpolished as a 185 pound chunk of pig-iron and just about as hard to dent (and) was a smash from the start." Irwin worked at fine-tuning his game, in particular when it came to being noticed by the referees, and as Tower's would later point out, "He was using legal methods instead of grabbing his man around the throat and doing him in like a desperate commando."

Irwin's coach in 1951-52, Clint Smith, was impressed with his big defender. "He's as good as any defenceman in the league," stated the former NHL star. On October 3, 1951, Irwin became the property of the Montreal Canadiens in a cash deal, but he remained in Cincinnati.

On March 16, 1952, the Cincinnati Gardens and Mohawk Boosters Club, honoured Irwin before a tilt against the Pittsburgh Hornets. The event was billed as Ivan Irwin Night.

In 1952-53, Irwin finally got his chance to participate in an NHL regular season contest. He skated in four games with the Habs and earned his first point by assisting on a goal. Unable to earn a roster spot with Montreal, he was sent to the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League. In 58 games with Victoria, he recorded 25 points and 119 penalty-minutes.

An off-season trade in August 1953 between Montreal and New York, sent Irwin to the Rangers in exchange for Eddie Slowinski and Pete Babando.

Irwin started the 1953-54 season with the WHL Vancouver Canucks, but in early November was called-up by the New York Rangers to replace Allan Stanley, who was out with an injury.

On November 5, 1953, Irwin participated in his first contest with the Blueshirts. Early reviews of his performances on Broadway were positive. "He's all I thought he was and more," said Irwin's most important critic, his coach, Frank Boucher. "I wondered if he was (a) sound thinking fellow, whether he might be wild and wooly and get foolish penalties." Without missing a beat, Boucher laid to rest any fears he had about Irwin's discipline on the ice. "Why, he's cool and smart. He doesn't get excited. You'd think he'd been in the league for five years."

Boucher heaped further praise on the new addition to his back end. "He gives you that little opening then closes it. Bang, you're hit and you don't forget it." The Rangers boss didn't limit his comments to Irwin's on-ice activities. "Although he doesn't say a lot, he says the right thing at the right time. That helps pep-up the team in the dressing room."

How tough was Ivan Irwin? The above photo gives a good indication. It shows Irwin ready to go stick-to-stick against Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Known for his temper and the ability to act on same, Richard with eyes glaring, was an intimidating player. But that didn't cause Irwin to retreat. He stood his ground and was ready to battle Richard.

From 1953-54 to 1957-58, Irwin played in 151 games with the big league club and 144 for their AHL affiliate the Providence Reds. Included in this stretch was a Calder Cup championship with the Reds in 1956. Also, he was an AHL First Team All-Star with Providence in '58 and '59.

At the age of 33, Irwin closed out his pro career in 1960 after spending two seasons with the AHL Buffalo Bisons. During a car ride home with his dad to Ontario from an exhibition game in Buffalo,  Irwin made a decision on his future in the game. In the exhibition game, Irwin suffered a nasty gash to his head. By the time father and son reached St. Catharines, Irwin chose to call it a career.

Irwin continued to play hockey when he joined the NHL Oldtimers. "Playing serious hockey isn't our ball game," an article quoted Irwin when it came to the entertainment factor for his new team. Part of Irwin's act included donning a wig, then offering no resistance as others dumped a pail of water over his head. Drenched in water, it was his turn to steal the spotlight. Irwin took off his wig and in a twisting and squeezing motion extracted the water.

When the Oldtimers held a dinner to honour Carl Brewer in April 1997, the four-time Stanley Cup winner with Toronto touched on Irwin the man and hockey player. "I've never met anyone who enjoyed life more, laughed better, or played the game better or harder than Ivan Irwin," stated Brewer. "When I think back to the dressing room stories, the guys talk about Ivan playing in the old Quebec League, playing for New York, playing wherever he was - but always laughing.

Brewer also commented on the weekly gathering to hit the ice. "We play on Sunday mornings now and nothing has changed. Ivan's out there with those feet - you can't get by them. The hands - he doesn't have hands, he has paws! The odd time during the course of the morning, he'll sneak up to the front of the net, thinking he should get a goal. He never has! But what I notice, he's always laughing. He enjoys life and makes life better for everyone."