Dick Irvin

James Dickinson "Dick" Irvin Jr. (or II)[1] (July 19, 1892 – May 16, 1957) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played for professional teams in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, the Western Canada Hockey League, and the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1916 to 1928, when he had to retire from repeated injuries. Irvin was one of the greatest players of his day, balancing a torrid slap shot and tough style with gentlemanly play. For his playing career, Irvin was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958. After playing, Irvin built a successful career as a coach in the NHL with the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens. He won one Stanley Cup as a coach with Toronto, three more with Montreal, finishing with over 600 wins as a coach. He also served in the Canadian Army during World War I.

This article is about a hockey player and coach. For his son, the sports broadcaster, see Dick Irvin Jr.

Dick Irvin
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1958
Born	(1892-07-19)July 19, 1892 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Died	May 16, 1957(1957-05-16) (aged 64) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	162 lb (73 kg; 11 st 8 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Portland Rosebuds Regina Capitals Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career	1916–1929

Early life

Irvin was born in Hamilton, Ontario,[2] one of 10 children, six boys and four girls. Two of the boys died in infancy, and the four girls all died of tuberculosis at an early age.[1] His father James Dickinson Irvin Sr. was a butcher.[1] The family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba when Dick Jr. was eight.

Dick played hockey from an early age, following in the footsteps of his oldest brother Alex. Their father would drive his sons and other boys to games by horse and sleigh, relying often upon the horses' sense of direction in winter blizzards to return home safely.[1] The family flooded the driveway of their home to create an ice rink which the Irvin sons would play on. Irvin also set up a shooting area in the attic of the home, where he would shoot a puck at the doorknob of an old door mounted sideways against a wall.[3] Irvin played junior and senior amateur hockey in Winnipeg, winning the Allan Cup in 1915 with the Winnipeg Monarchs. He first played senior hockey with the Winnipeg Strathconas at the early age of 12.[1]

Irvin was also considered a top baseball player and he played on the Winnipeg Dominion Express team with his brothers Alex and George.[4] Irvin was also a competitive curler.[1]

Career

Irvin began his professional career in 1916 with the Portland Rosebuds of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and was the fourth leading scoring rookie tallying 35 goals. Before the following season, the Canadian government instituted a draft in August 1917 and Irvin was inducted into the Canadian Army in November 1917. Irvin was taken on by The Fort Garry Horse regiment in April 1918 and arrived in England in May 1918. He was transferred to France in August 1918 and in October was transferred to a signals unit as a motorcycle rider. The war ended in November 1918 and Irvin arrived back in Halifax in May 1919.[5]

Irvin was reinstated as an amateur and he played three seasons with the Regina Victorias senior club. He returned to professional hockey in 1921 with the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League. In 1926, at age 34, he entered the National Hockey League (NHL), signed by the newly formed Chicago Black Hawks. Irvin was made the team's first captain, and had an impressive campaign, finishing second in the league in scoring. In their first season, the Black Hawks led all NHL teams in scoring, led by Irvin and Babe Dye. Irvin's second season turned to tragedy as he fractured his skull, which led to retirement after the 1928–29 season, during which he had also added coaching duties. The Hawks had finished with the worst record in the NHL in both of his last two seasons as a player.

Irvin was hired as head coach of the Black Hawks in 1930, and in his first season behind the bench led the team to 24 wins, 17 losses and 3 ties. The Black Hawks made it to the Stanley Cup Final but lost and the Black Hawks released him in September 1931.[6] That November, the Toronto Maple Leafs were winless after five games and manager Conn Smythe convinced Irvin to coach the Leafs.[7] In his first season coaching the Leafs (the first in the brand-new Maple Leaf Gardens), he achieved immediate success by winning the Stanley Cup. Irvin would lead the Leafs to the finals six more times, but could not deliver another Cup to Toronto.

By the end of the 1939–40 season, which ended with yet another loss in the finals, Smythe believed that Irvin had taken the Leafs as far as he could and decided to replace him with former Leafs captain Hap Day, who had retired. Smythe also knew that he would be away in the war and felt that Irvin would not be tough enough without Smythe to back him up.[8] Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens had just suffered a ten-win season (still the worst winning percentage in franchise history), and were looking for a new coach. Knowing that the Canadiens were in serious straits off the ice as well as on it, Smythe suggested that the Canadiens hire Irvin, solving both teams' issues.[9] Soon afterwards, Tommy Gorman picked Irvin up and drove him to Montreal to become coach of the team.[10]

Irvin didn't take long to turn the Canadiens around. He had them back in the playoffs in his first season, and in his fourth season took them all the way to the Stanley Cup—the first of six finals appearances and three Cups. Helped by star players Elmer Lach, Doug Harvey, goalie Bill Durnan and a young Maurice Richard, the Canadiens were just beginning to blossom as an NHL dynasty. Although Irvin found his greatest success in Montreal, he came under fire for encouraging "goon" tactics, especially after Montreal fans rioted in protest of Richard's season-ending suspension for attacking a referee. He was already well known for looking the other way when stick-swinging duels broke out in practices.[11] Although they made it to the Final (losing to the Detroit Red Wings), internal pressure forced Irvin to step down.

He returned to the Black Hawks as head coach for the 1955–56 season, taking the reins of a moribund team that had only made the playoffs once in the past 10 years and finished last in the past two seasons. Irvin was unable to turn the team's fortunes around, and the Black Hawks again ended the year in last place, despite the emergence of Ed Litzenberger as a scoring star. Irvin was to coach the Black Hawks again in 1956–57, but he became so ill with bone cancer that he had to retire before the season began. He died a few months later at age 64.

A year later, Irvin was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His coaching career included four Stanley Cups with 692 regular season wins, results surpassed only by Al Arbour and Scotty Bowman.

Playing style

"He is playing centre, and playing it so spectacularly that he is touted the real find of the season. He plays clean hockey, too, and has a most deceptive method of wig-wagging his way through the best defences for a shot on the nets. Generally, his shots are billed through to the goal, as any of a trio of league goaltenders can substantiate."

Edmonton Journal on Irvin during his 1916–17 season with the Portland Rosebuds.[12]

Irvin with the Portland Rosebuds in 1916–17.

When PCHA president Frank Patrick signed Irvin to his league for the 1916–17 season, to play with the Portland Rosebuds, he claimed the 23-year old former Winnipeg amateur centre ice man was "the greatest forward who ever came into the Pacific Coast League" and predicted that before the end of the season Irvin would be "one of the best players in the country." Patrick hailed Irvin as a "natural-born goal getter" who "scores from almost any possible angle."[13]

After a slow start in Portland, where Irvin himself was convinced that he was not to be given a chance to properly display his worth as a player, later on confessing that he had had early thoughts on leaving the league and returning home to Winnipeg, he was finally injected into a game in Portland and made good with a vengeance.[12] At the end of the season he had lived up to Frank Patrick's high expectations and he almost caught up with the top point producers in the league, finally finishing 4th in goals and 5th in points despite his slow start to the season where he sat on the bench for most of the first five games.

Irvin was not only clean playing but also a clean living individual who did not not touch either alcohol or nicotine, figuring a perfect health would be one of his best assets[12], to go along with his deceptive wig-wagging moves and his dangerous shooting ability on the ice.

Personal

Irvin kept a home in Regina, Saskatchewan for most of his life, before buying a home in Mount Royal in 1954. Irvin married Bertha Helen Bain and fathered two children, daughter Fay and son James Dickinson Irvin III (known as Dick, Jr.) who is a noted Canadian television sports announcer.[4] Irvin died at his Mount Royal home.[4] He was interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.[14]

Awards and achievements

• Allan Cup Championship (1915)
• Stanley Cup Championships (1932 – Toronto, 1944, 1946, and 1953 – Montreal)
• Lost in the finals a record 12 times as a Coach (1931 – Chicago, 1933-35-36-38-39-40 – Toronto, 1947-51-52-54-55 – Montreal)
• NHL First All-Star Team Coach (1944, 1945, & 1946)
• NHL Second All-Star Team Coach (1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, & 1941)
• Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1983
• Selected to Manitoba's All-Century First All-Star Team and named Coach of the Century
• "Honoured Member" of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1911–12	Winnipeg Monarchs	MHL-Sr.		5	16	0	16	0		1	5	0	5	0
1912–13	Winnipeg Strathconas	MHL-Sr.		7	32	0	32	12		1	0	0	0	0
1912–13	Winnipeg Monarchs	MHL-Sr.		2	5	0	5	—		—	—	—	—	—
1913–14	Winnipeg Strathconas	MHL-Sr.		3	11	0	11	—		—	—	—	—	—
1913–14	Winnipeg Monarchs	MHL-Sr.		7	23	1	24	—		—	—	—	—	—
1914–15	Winnipeg Monarchs	MHL-Sr.		6	23	3	26	30		2	10	0	10	2
1914–15	Winnipeg Monarchs	Al-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		6	17	3	20	20
1915–16	Winnipeg Monarchs	MHL-Sr.		8	17	4	21	38		2	7	1	8	2
1916–17	Portland Rosebuds	PCHA		23	35	10	45	24		—	—	—	—	—
1917–18	Winnipeg Ypres	MHL-Sr.		9	29	8	37	26		—	—	—	—	—
1918–19	Military service
1919–20	Regina Victorias	SSHL		12	32	4	36	22		2	1	0	1	4
1920–21	Regina Victorias	SSHL		11	19	5	24	12		4	8	0	8	4
1921–22	Regina Capitals	WCHL		20	21	7	28	17		4	3	0	3	2
1921–22	Regina Capitals	West-P		—	—	—	—	—		2	1	0	1	0
1922–23	Regina Capitals	WCHL		25	9	4	13	12		2	1	0	1	0
1923–24	Regina Capitals	WCHL		29	15	8	23	33		2	0	0	0	4
1924–25	Regina Capitals	WCHL		28	13	5	18	38		—	—	—	—	—
1925–26	Portland Rosebuds	WHL		30	31	5	36	29		—	—	—	—	—
1926–27	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		43	18	18	36	34		2	2	0	2	4
1927–28	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		12	5	4	9	14		—	—	—	—	—
1928–29	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		39	6	1	7	30		—	—	—	—	—
MHL-Sr. totals				47	156	16	172	—		6	22	1	23	4
NHL totals				94	29	23	52	78		2	2	0	2	4
WCHL/WHL totals				102	58	24	82	100		8	4	0	4	6

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular Season							Post Season
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
CHI	1928–29	12	2	6	4	-	(22)	5th in American	Did not qualify
CHI	1930–31	44	24	17	3	-	51	2nd in American	Won in quarter-finals (4-3 vs. TOR) Won in semi-finals (3-0 vs. NYR) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (2-3 vs. MTL)
TOR	1931–32†	42	22	15	5	-	(53)	2nd in Canadian	Won in quarter-finals (6-2 vs. CHI) Won in semi-finals (4-3 vs. MTM) Won Stanley Cup (3-0 vs. NYR)
TOR	1932–33	48	24	18	6	-	54	1st in Canadian	Won in semi-finals (3-2 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (1-3 vs. NYR)
TOR	1933–34	48	26	13	9	-	61	1st in Canadian	Lost in semi-finals (2-3 vs. DET)
TOR	1934–35	48	30	14	4	-	64	1st in Canadian	Won in semi-finals (3-1 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (0-3 vs. MTM)
TOR	1935–36	48	23	19	6	-	52	2nd in Canadian	Won in quarter-finals (8-6 vs. BOS) Won in semi-finals (2-1 vs. NYA) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (1-3 vs. DET)
TOR	1936–37	48	22	21	5	-	49	3rd in Canadian	Lost in quarter-finals (0-2 vs. NYR)
TOR	1937–38	48	24	15	9	-	57	1st in Canadian	Won in semi-finals (3-0 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (1-3 vs. CHI)
TOR	1938–39	48	19	20	9	-	47	3rd in NHL	Won in quarter-finals (2-0 vs. NYA) Won in semi-finals (2-1 vs. DET) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (1-4 vs. BOS)
TOR	1939–40	48	25	17	6	-	56	3rd in NHL	Won in quarter-finals (2-0 vs. CHI) Won in semi-finals (2-0 vs. DET) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (2-4 vs. NYR)
MTL	1940–41	48	16	26	6	-	38	6th in NHL	Lost in quarter-finals (1-2 vs. CHI)
MTL	1941–42	48	18	27	3	-	39	6th in NHL	Lost in quarter-finals (1-2 vs. DET)
MTL	1942–43	50	19	19	12	-	50	4th in NHL	Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs. BOS)
MTL	1943–44	50	38	5	7	-	83	1st in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-1 vs. TOR) Won Stanley Cup (4-0 vs. CHI)
MTL	1944–45	50	38	8	4	-	80	1st in NHL	Lost in semi-finals (2-4 vs. TOR)
MTL	1945–46	50	28	17	5	-	61	1st in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-0 vs. CHI) Won Stanley Cup (4-1 vs. BOS)
MTL	1946–47	60	34	16	10	-	78	1st in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-1 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (2-4 vs. TOR)
MTL	1947–48	60	20	29	11	-	51	5th in NHL	Did not qualify
MTL	1948–49	60	28	23	9	-	65	3rd in NHL	Lost in semi-finals (3-4 vs. DET)
MTL	1949–50	70	29	22	19	-	77	2nd in NHL	Lost in semi-finals (1-4 vs. NYR)
MTL	1950–51	70	25	30	15	-	65	3rd in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-2 vs. DET) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (1-4 vs. TOR)
MTL	1951–52	70	34	26	10	-	78	2nd in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-3 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (0-4 vs. DET)
MTL	1952–53	70	28	23	19	-	75	2nd in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-3 vs. CHI) Won Stanley Cup (4-1 vs. BOS)
MTL	1953–54	70	35	24	11	-	81	2nd in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-0 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (3-4 vs. DET)
MTL	1954–55	70	41	18	11	-	93	2nd in NHL	Won in semi-finals (4-1 vs. BOS) Lost in Stanley Cup finals (3-4 vs. DET)
CHI	1955–56	70	19	39	12	-	50	6th in NHL	Did not qualify
Montreal Totals		896	431	313	152	-	1024	-	14 playoff appearances, 3 Stanley Cups
Toronto Totals		426	215	152	59	-	489	-	9 playoff appearances, 1 Stanley Cup
Chicago Totals		126	45	62	19	-	109	-	1 playoff appearance, 0 Stanley Cups
Total		1448	691	527	230	-	1612	-	24 playoff appearances, 4 Stanley Cups

†Note: In the 1931–32 season, Art Duncan coached the Maple Leafs for the first five games. After the firing of Duncan, and before Irvin arrived to coach Toronto, Conn Smythe coached the team for one game.[15] Irvin then coached the team for the rest of the season and playoffs.

See also

• Notable families in the NHL
• Dick Irvin, Jr.

References

Bibliography

• Goyens, Chrys; Turowetz, Allan (1986). Lions in Winter. Scarborough, ON: Prentice-Hall Canada. ISBN 0-13-537457-X.
• Hunter, Douglas (1996). War Games: Conn Smythe and hockey's fighting men. Toronto, Ontario: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-025685-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hunter, Douglas (1997). Champions: The Illustrated History of Hockey's Greatest Dynasties. Chicago, Illinois: Triumph Books. ISBN 1-57243-213-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Smythe, Conn; Young, Scott (1981). Conn Smythe: If you can't beat 'em in the alley. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland and Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-9078-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Notes

1. Smith, Maurice (May 17, 1957). "Player Senior Hockey in Winnipeg at 12, Might Have Been Sprint Ace". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 26.
2. Cole, Stephen (2006). The Canadian Hockey Atlas. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978-0-385-66093-8.
3. Melville, Scotty (May 17, 1957). "Dick Irvin Was A Dedicated Player; Practices Profusely, Loved Hockey". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 26.
4. DeGeer, Vern (May 17, 1957). "Dick Irvin, 64, Dies; Was Headliner As Player, Coach". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 25.
5. Hunter 1996, pp. 45–46.
6. "Irvin Is Released By Chicago Black Hawks". The Globe. September 7, 1931. p. 8.
7. "Irvin To Succeed Coach Art Duncan". The Globe. November 28, 1931. p. 8.
8. Smythe & Young 1981, p. 143.
9. Hunter 1997, p. 42.
10. Goyens, p. 45
11. Hunter 1997, p. 89.
12. "Portland's Sensational Centre Learned Hockey in Winnipeg", Edmonton Journal. Feb. 24, 1917 (p. 31). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
13. "Dick Irvin, former 'Peg star, sensation of coast league" The Daily Provine (Vancouver). Jan. 4, 1917 (p. 10. ). Retrieved 2020-07-28.
14. "Death Notices". Montreal Gazette. May 18, 1957.
15. Rodden, M. J. (November 30, 1931). "On The Highways of Sport: The Maple Leafs Finally Chase The Jinx". The Globe. p. 6.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Dick Irvin's biography at Canadian Sports Hall of Fame
• Dick Irvin's biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

Preceded by new creation	Chicago Black Hawks captain 1926–29	Succeeded by L. S. Dutkowski
Preceded by Herb Gardiner	Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks 1928	Succeeded by Tom Shaughnessy
Preceded by Bill Tobin	Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks 1930–1931	Succeeded by Bill Tobin
Preceded by Art Duncan	Head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1931–1940	Succeeded by Hap Day
Preceded by Pit Lepine	Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens 1940–1955	Succeeded by Toe Blake
Preceded by Frank Eddolls	Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks 1955–56	Succeeded by Tommy Ivan