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Dick Irvin (Sr.)
Center Born July 19 1892 - Hamilton, ONT The Player: Dick Irvin first made a name for himself in hockey as one of the game's top centres in the 1920s. Noted for his stick handling ability and accurate slapshot, he was a goal scoring machine in junior and senior amateur hockey. Irvin played his junior and senior amateur hockey bouts in Winnipeg, Manitoba, winning the Allan Cup in 1915 with the Winnipeg Monarchs. In 1916, his pro hockey career began when he played for the Portland Rosebuds of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Irvin didn't play any hockey in the 1918-19 season, as he had a brief stint serving in the Canadian Army. When he returned from service he played for a few more years as an amateur before turning pro once more in 1921, playing for the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League. In 1926, at age 34, Dick Irvin entered the NHL, having been signed by the newly formed Chicago Black Hawks for their first season of play in the NHL. He was made the Black Hawks' first captain and finished second in league in scoring and 4th in MVP voting. Led by Irvin and another Hamilton born player, Cecil "Babe" Dye, Chicago was the highest scoring team in the league that season. On December 28, 1927, Irvin fractured his skull in a game against the Montreal Maroons, which led to his retirement after the 1928-29 season. He played three seasons in the NHL, all with the Chicago Black Hawks. NHL Coach: The next chapter for Dick Irvin's hockey career was behind the bench as an NHL coach where he enjoyed watching his players practice with vigor and play with passion. He returned to Chicago to coach the Black Hawks in the 1930-31 season. His first year behind the bench he helped Chicago win 24 games in a 44 game schedule. Two years later, Conn Smythe, owner of the Maple Leafs, coaxed him into taking a coaching job in Toronto. A few months later he helped Toronto win their first Stanley Cup as the Maple Leafs. (The club won two Cups previously as the St. Pats.) That was the only time Toronto won the Cup with Irvin behind the bench even though he had helped guide the club to six more Cup Finals. In 1940-41 Irvin was hired to coach the Montreal Canadiens, a club that was struggling both on the ice and at the gate. Many feel that Irvin's arrival in Montreal sparked a turn-around in the teams' fortunes. The first two seasons were mediocre. But by the third season the hockey club had reached a respectable .500 level, and after that they became Stanley Cup contenders. Irvin helped guide the Canadiens to three Stanley Cup victories, (1944, 1946, 1953), in eight Cup Finals. His last season as an NHL coach, 1956-57, was with the Chicago Black Hawks, where it all started for him. He was forced to retire later that year due to illness. The following season Irvin passed away. In 1958 Dick Irvin was inducted into the Hockey Hall off Fame. With 1,449 games and 692 coaching wins under his cap he established an NHL coaching record that stood for almost 40 years, until it was surpassed by Al Arbour of the New York Islanders. Honours: * 1915 Allan Cup winner, player with the Winnipeg Monarchs Personal: His son, Dick Irvin, Jr., is a noted Canadian television sports announcer, for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.
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DICK DICKENSON IRVIN (Player/
Coach) 