Arturs Irbe
Arturs Irbe was born on February 2, 1967, in Riga, Latvia — then part of the Soviet Union — and went on to play 568 games in the NHL across a career that spanned multiple franchises and two continents. Selected by San Jose in the 10th round, 7th pick, of the 1989 NHL Draft, Irbe did not arrive in North America until 1991, having first built his career in the Soviet league and with the Soviet national team.
Standing 5'8" and weighing 190 pounds, Irbe was among the smaller goaltenders of his era. He played for the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, and Carolina Hurricanes during his NHL tenure, finishing with 218 wins, 236 losses, a 2.83 goals-against average, a .899 save percentage, and 33 shutouts. After his NHL career concluded, he returned to Europe in 2004 and played until his retirement in 2007. He has since worked as a hockey coach.
Career Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | W | L | OT | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | Hurricanes | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2.45 | .899 | 0 |
| 2002-03 | Hurricanes | 34 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 3.18 | .877 | 0 |
| 2001-02 | Hurricanes | 51 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 2.54 | .902 | 3 |
| 2000-01 | Hurricanes | 77 | 37 | 29 | 0 | 2.45 | .908 | 6 |
| 1999-00 | Hurricanes | 75 | 34 | 28 | 0 | 2.42 | .906 | 5 |
| 1998-99 | Hurricanes | 62 | 27 | 20 | 0 | 2.22 | .923 | 6 |
| 1997-98 | Canucks | 41 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 2.73 | .907 | 2 |
| 1996-97 | Stars | 35 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 2.69 | .893 | 3 |
| 1995-96 | Sharks | 22 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 4.59 | .860 | 0 |
| 1994-95 | Sharks | 38 | 14 | 19 | 0 | 3.26 | .895 | 4 |
| 1993-94 | Sharks | 74 | 30 | 28 | 0 | 2.84 | .899 | 3 |
| 1992-93 | Sharks | 36 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 4.11 | .886 | 1 |
| 1991-92 | Sharks | 13 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4.46 | .868 | 0 |
| Career | 568 | 218 | 236 | 0 | 2.83 | .899 | 33 |