Arturs Irbe Assigned to Johnstown

Former NHL All-Star
Irbe Assigned To Johnstown
http://www.echl.com/upload_images/ArtusIrbe.jpgThursday Oct 16, 2003

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - The Johnstown Chiefs announced on Thursday that former National Hockey League All-Star goaltender Arturs Irbe has been assigned to the team by the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. Irbe will be available for Friday’s game at Toledo on Friday, and is scheduled to be the starter for the Chiefs’ home opener on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Irbe has spent the last five seasons with the Hurricanes and led the team to the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals where Carolina lost in five games to Detroit. He played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1994 and 1999 and represented his native Latvia at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Irbe is 213-234-78 with a 2.82 goals against average in 558 career NHL games.

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This is a pretty crazy story....2 years after playing in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, you're playing ECHL "AA" Hockey...

...i'm surprised he is sticking with it and playing through it, I would've expected that he'd have retired by now.

This organization is going to really hang Irbe out to dry, making him earn his money while trying to humiliate him. I feel bad for Irbe but carolina are not obligated to have him tie up anAHL spot. They perhaps could have tried harder to loan him out either in the AHL or in Europe. he had quite an interesting career, alot of up and down but was a damn good goalie all in all.

Highest paid goalie in ECHL, if I were him i'd milk the $ while I still could.

On the prior NHL-NHLPA bargaining agreement a player couldn't be placed lower than AHL or the then IHL unless they agreed to it. I don't think the NHLPA would have given that up. I'm thinkin' Arturs would have had to agree to be placed that far down the ladder.

Good point Fan.

On the prior NHL-NHLPA bargaining agreement a player couldn't be placed lower than AHL or the then IHL unless they agreed to it. I don't think the NHLPA would have given that up. I'm thinkin' Arturs would have had to agree to be placed that far down the ladder.


Hey Irbe, you have a choice. You can stay with our AHL team where I guarantee you're going to sit on the bench all season and not see 1 second of ice-time all year or you can have a shot at the starting job with our ECHL team. What's it gonna be?

Obviously none of us know what goes on behind closed doors, but if this is just an attempt by Carolina to embarrass Irbe into accepting a buyout then it's shameful.