The NHL was embroiled in a labor dispute which led to a lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season. That, however, didn’t stop Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford from making some key additions to his team.
This is the eighth installment in my Rewind series, taking a look at the Carolina Hurricanes of seasons past. To check out my prior articles, click a season:
Obviously, this one is going to be a bit different. For those of you who were too young or didn’t follow the NHL at the time, this one stung. No, it wasn’t a subpar season or a heartbreaking end to a playoff run. It was, quite simply, a total lack of NHL hockey and it was absolutely no fun.
Now, I’m not going to get into the politics and posturing of what led to a lockout that eventually devoured an entire season. It happened, it stunk, life moved on. Players played; some went overseas, some plied their skills in the AHL.
A younger me took advantage of his “speedy” new DSL connection by checking in repeatedly for any updates. When things got to be too much, I popped in my Raising Canes DVD and relived the 2001-02 season.
Despite the lack of game action, there was still activity going on. Moves were made, the full impact of which we wouldn’t learn for some time. One move of particular note occurred on June 16, 2004, and marked the end of an era:
Arturs Irbe played in 309 games over 6 seasons for the Hurricanes. During that time, Irbe provided a face and huge personality for the rechristened team and quickly became a fan-favorite. By the time of the trade, Irbe had declined considerably and spent a stint in the ECHL. It was a sad end for a player who had meant so much to the franchise and it marked a period of transition for the Hurricanes.
How much did ‘Archie’ mean to the Hurricanes? Let’s take a quick look at some of his stats and where they place him in franchise history:
- Wins: 130 (2nd)
- Shots against: 7884 (3rd)
- Saves: 7145 (3rd)
- Save %: .906 (3rd)
- GAA: 2.49 (2nd)
- Shutouts: 20 (2nd)
- Minutes: 17,816 (2nd)
Irbe may have played for the Blue Jackets had the lockout not occurred. As it turned out, he returned to Europe to finish his playing career.
[@RexHealthcare 20th Anniversary Team: Arturs Irbe]
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 2, 2018
"A lot of goaltenders earn the moniker of 'workhorse,' but playing in 214 games in three seasons left little doubt that Arturs Irbe was the Hurricanes' workhorse in net." pic.twitter.com/cJKXONyPEG
Let’s take a look at some things that, unlike the 04-05 NHL season, actually happened.