Carolina Hurricanes Fan Favorites: Arturs Irbe
By Jeb Bohn
Cracks in “The Wall”
The 2002-03 season got off to a very rocky start for Irbe, who dropped his first 3 games while allowing a total of 10 goals. Even worse, he lost 14 out of his final 15 appearances. Yes, the Hurricanes were a dumpster fire adrift in a sea of sewage, but Irbe seemed to have lost the magic touch that he had shown over the previous 4 seasons.
Appearing in just 34 games—his lowest total since joining the Hurricanes—Irbe posted a nightmarish 7-24-2 record along with a 3.18 goals-against average and a save percentage of .877. More than that, Irbe had ceded the starter’s job to Weekes. I love Kevin Weekes as much as the next guy but this stung as it marked the end of an era. The listless Hurricanes limped through the season, following an appearance in the Cup Finals by finishing well out of the playoff picture.
Any hope of a resurgence was snuffed out when Irbe was assigned to Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL in October of 2003. The Latvian goaltender played well in the minors, even earning a berth in the ECHL All-Star Game. Rumors swirled that Rutherford was seeking to trade his 36-year-old goalie, murmurs that died down due to a no-trade clause in Irbe’s contract.
Irbe did manage 10 appearances in what would be his final NHL season. It was a bittersweet sendoff for the man affectionately known as ‘Archie’ as he posted a 5-2-1 record along with a much improved 2.45 goals-against average.
Two and a half months after the Hurricanes’ final game of the year, Irbe was shipped off to Columbus for future considerations.