Lowell wins second matchup 4-3 in OT - 23th of February 2003

Chelmsford native Keith Aucoin (1 goal, 1 assist) passed up to Lee Goren, who passed cross-ice to Martin Samuelsson, who got a step on Nikos Tselios and one-timed a shot which Arturs Irbe, who made 23 saves, got a piece of but couldn't stop. Tomas Kurka scored at 1:51 of overtime on a 40-foot slap shot inside the left post, giving Lowell a 4-3 win and sending the largest crowd ever to see a hockey game in Lowell home happy last night. The game was witnessed by a standing-room-only crowd of 7,139 at Tsongas Arena, breaking the previous record, set last month, by 30 fans. Lowell (15-39-5-3) still sports the worst record in the AHL, but beating the North Division-leading P-Bruins had to feel sweet. Providence (37-14-7-2) has 83 points, the second-most in the AHL, while Lowell now has 38. Kurka took a Mike Zigomanis drop pass and blasted a shot past Tim Thomas, who had lost his stick seconds earlier. Zigomanis led Lowell with two goals. Harold Druken also assisted on the game-winner. Rookie Damian Surma collected a pair of assists for Lowell. Zigomanis scored at 4:10 of the third period to vault the Lock Monsters into a 3-2 lead, their first lead of the night. Brad DeFauw played strongly behind the net, using his 215-pound frame to full advantage and his pass was one-timed by Zigomanis past Thomas. Zigomanis got body position on Tyler Beechey and didn't waste any time unloading. But a defensive breakdown allowed the P-Bruins to tie the game at 8:08. ->discuss

Bruins down Monsters in first matchup - 22th of February 2003

Tim Thomas stopped 23 shots and rookie center Tyler Beechey scored twice in his AHL debut as the Providence Bruins rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Lowell Lock Monsters. Thomas made 10 saves over the first two periods and 13 in the third for his first shutout of the season, extending his winning streak to four games. Beechey, who had five goals and 30 assists in 34 games with Johnstown of the East Coast Hockey League, tallied 3:56 into the third, from Kevin Dallman and Pat Leahy, and capped the scoring with his second of the game midway through the final stanza. Andy Hilbert scored his fifth game-winner and assisted Matt Herr on a power-play goal in the third, giving Hilbert five points in his last two games for Providence. Carl Corazzini, who set up Jeff Jillson for his fifth of the season, finished with a goal and two assists for the Bruins, who extended their home unbeaten streak to 18 games (15-0-3). Arturs Irbe, who stopped 30 of 31 shots two days ago versus Manchester, gave up all six goals on 34 shots for Lowell, which has lost five straight to Providence.

Monsters earn their first win with Arturs Irbe in goal - 20th of February 2003

Jeff Daw's goal with less than four minutes to play and goaltender Arturs Irbe's 30 saves gave the Lowell Lock Monsters their first win against the Manchester Monarchs since opening night for both teams. The Monarchs entered play with a two-game winning streak. Lowell's last win over the Monarchs was a 7-3 triumph at the Verizon Wireless Arena on October 11, 2002. Irbe, assigned to the Lock Monsters by the Carolina Hurricanes after clearing waivers last week, earned top star honors from the media present at the game. The 36-year-old Latvian earned his first minor league win since the 1995-96 season in his second home start and third overall appearance for the Lock Monsters. Daw's goal, scored at 16:34 of the final period and on the Lock Monsters 41st shot, shocked the Monarchs who earlier in the period had tied the game on Steve Kelly's 13th goal. Damian Kurka and defenseman Steve Halko earned their second points of the night by assisting on the game-winner. Kelly had to wait over 54 minutes to extend his personal point streak to four games, but the wait was worth it as he gathered in a neutral zone pass from defenseman Tomas Zizka and bolted toward the Lock Monsters net on a partial breakaway. Kelly patiently waited for Irbe to commit and then skillfully backhanded a shot just inside the near post at 14:01. The Lock Monsters took advantage of a Monarchs penalty midway through the second period to score their first goal. Kurka recorded his 12th goal and his third against the Monarchs this season by flipping a shot toward the net after receiving a behind the net feed from Halko. Kurka's goal, scored at 9:03, seemed to catch Scott by surprise. Mike Watt also earned an assist on the power play tally. The Monarchs best chance to score in the period occurred minutes before when Irbe received plenty of help from defenseman Jeremiah McCarthy. The fearless McCarthy faced down defenseman Richard Seeley's slap shot from the blue line and calmly kicked it away from the goalmouth with 15:45 left in the period. Moments before Irbe had left the crease to make a save. Seeley also was unable to finish against Irbe later in the period as the savy netminder stood his ground before snuffing out his wide-open chance with 13:30 to play in the period. Seeley, trailing on the play, had a clear lane to the net after Kelly located him for the far corner. Two veteran goaltenders battled their way through a scoreless first period as Travis Scott matched 12-year NHL'er Irbe save for save. Irbe turned aside 12 Monarchs attempts, and Scott was even busier repelling 15 shots in his first Monarchs start since February 8. Scott, who has one NHL appearance to his credit, was on recall with the Los Angeles Kings for a week before returning to Manchester yesterday. In his first start back, he took the loss despite tying a Monarchs season high with 40 saves. ->discuss

Weekes about his relationship to Arturs Irbe - 18th of February 2003

Kevin Weekes is now the No. 1 goalie for the Canes from here on out after the 36-year-old Irbe was sent to the minors this week. "I really miss Archie because we have a great bond and a very good friendship that goes well beyond the game of hockey," said Weekes. "We related on a lot of different levels, as ironic as many of you think that is because of the physical differences between us, but we had a great relationship. He's helped me a great deal," he said, "and I know what he's meant to this franchise and to a lot of the fans here. I tip my hat to him and all that he has accomplished. It's unfortunate it had to end this way."

3-3 tie against Saint John - 17th of February 2003

In the last game of three in a row Arturs Irbe stopped 38 out of 41 shots and had a few spectacular saves. Lowell halted an eight-game losing streak with the tie. Lowell went ahead 2-0 on power-play goals by Nikos Tselios and Igor Knyazev at 9:01 and 10:10 of the first period. Saint John cut it to 2-1 on a power-play goal by Micki DuPont at 11:08 of the first period. Saint John goalie Peter Aubry made 11 saves before being benched after misplaying a 50-foot slapshot by Tomas Kurka that put Lowell ahead 3-1 on the power play at 7:21 of the second period. His replacement, Dany Sabourin, stopped all 17 shots he faced while Saint John rallied to tie on goals by Shaun Sutter at 14:51 of the second period and Mottau on the power play at 4:40 of the third. ->discuss

Irbe loses first game with Lowell - 15th of February 2003

In the battle between ex-Carolina Hurricanes goaltenders, Jean-Marc Pelletier got the better of Arturs Irbe. Pelletier continued his terrific play last night for Springfield, stopping 32 shots to backbone the Falcons to a 5-1 win over Lowell and spoil Irbe's debut in a Lock Monsters uniform. Lowell (13-37-4-3), the AHL's worst club, has now lost seven straight games. Springfield (24-26-5-0) is unbeaten in its last six (5-0-1), while Pelletier is 8-1-2 with the Falcons since being traded earlier this season from Carolina to Phoenix. Frank Banham scored two goals for Springfield, including an empty-net goal with 1:26 left. Irbe stopped 27 of 31 shots. Tomas Kurka's power-play goal, assisted by Jeff Daw and Brad DeFauw, broke Pelletier's shutout bid with 2:52 remaining. Lowell was still in the game early in the third period, trailing only 1-0, but Springfield scored two goals 30 seconds apart to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Erik Westrum scored at 3:02 and then Shane Willis skated around Lowell defenseman Nikos Tselios and sent a shot past Irbe at 3:32 to break the game open for the Falcons. Gaetan Royer added to Springfield's fun when he blasted a shot from the top of the slot into Lowell's cage at 7:38. The Falcons scored the only goal of the opening period, as Banham collected his 17th goal of the season following a pass by Jeff Taffe. Lowell hosts Providence tonight at Tsongas Arena. ->discuss

The story of Arturs Irbe's misterious pads - 15th of February 2003

In 1991/92 (Archie's first season in the NHL), he wore a pair of KOHO Revolution pads, matching blocker and trapper and a sher-wood goalie stick. He used these pads in his first game in the NHL. He also used a big wire cage on his goalie mask (he wore black and white masks this year). This all soon changed as he got Vaughn goalie pads, and a Christian stick. He did however use the same blocker and trapper. He used the Vaughns until late 1992/93 when he got another pair of used KOHO's. These pads however were KOHO EVOLUTIONS not Revolutions. When he did this, he also had changed back to a Sher-wood stick and got KOHO evolution blocker and trapper (the wire cage was removed after brief stints with Kansas City). He used this equipment until 1995/96 when he was sent to the minors and dealt with a major knee injury. When he came back, he had a new pair of KOHO Revolution pads, and a new set of KOHO Revolution blocker and trapper. He used this equipment all through 1996/97 with the Stars and decided to have a fresh new look for the Canucks. He got that years new style of the KOHO Revolutions (without the black at the bottom) and a new blocker and trapper. He also used a black Jofa helmet. He kept all this equipment until 1999/2001 (he got rid of the black helmet halfway through 1998/99). In late 1999/00 he wore Brians pads, and got a newer version of the KOHO revolution blocker and trapper. No one seemed to notice throughout the 2001/02 playoffs that his pads were Brians and not KOHO... For the 2002/03 season, he got a pair of Eagle goalie pads and matching blocker and trapper. He got new pads because his Brians pads weighed almost 6 lbs each from the years of being repaired.

Arturs Irbe in goal for Lowell - 13th of February 2003

"Armed with his goaltending equipment and a positive attitude, the highest-profile player to pull on a Lowell Lock Monsters jersey arrived at Tsongas Arena yesterday. He doesn't know how long he'll stay he could be traded or return to the Carolina Hurricanes but an upbeat Arturs Irbe vowed to play every game in the minors like it was the Stanley Cup finals, a destination he helped Carolina reach last spring. "For me the only thing I can do is play my best and that's what I intend to do," he said. "I want to do what they want me to do. I'm a soldier. That's how I approach it." The winningest goalie in Carolina franchise history will be in Lowell's net tonight when the Lock Monsters play in Springfield. Irbe's attitude was evident by his exchange with Lowell head coach Ron Smith. "He asked about the playoffs," Smith said. "I said, 'Arturs, if you come in here and win 20 games, we've got a chance." Lowell, like Carolina, is in the midst of a miserable season. With 24 games left, the team with the worst record in the AHL needs a miracle to make the playoffs. But having the native of Latvia around, even for a couple of weeks, should be a breath of fresh air. Instead of being depressed by being demoted to the AHL after none of the other 29 NHL teams claimed him off waivers, Irbe a self-described "optimist" who happily signed autographs after practice said he's ready to prove wrong critics who say his game has slipped. Before accepting his assignment to Lowell, the 12-year NHL veteran was 7-17-2 with a 3.06 goals-against average and .884 save percentage in Carolina. In his previous four seasons with the Hurricanes, however, Irbe posted a 118-96-41 record and earned the reputation as an ironman. "Some people say I'm on the downhill ... but usually I bounce back even stronger," he said. "It's my job and I still love the game. I'm going to have fun here. I'm not going to be lost here." As if to prove his point, Irbe minutes later warmly greeted former Carolina teammate Tommy Westlund. Irbe hasn't played in a minor league game since 1996, when he was sent to Kansas City on a conditioning stint. "He's been very professional with us, which you would expect," said Jason Karmanos, Carolina's assistant general manager. "He's hoping that something positive comes out of this. "We've been trying to move him without any success," he continued. Tonight, Irbe may be opposed in Springfield's net by ex-Lock Monster Jean-Marc Pelletier. ->discuss

Irbe on waivers! (tns.ca article) - 8th of February 2003

According to NHL Network analyst Neil Smith, the Carolina Hurricanes have placed goaltender Arturs Irbe on waivers in another effort to trim payroll. Irbe is making $2.5 million (U.S) this season. Earlier on Friday, the Hurricanes traded forward Sami Kapanen, who was making $3.0 million (U.S), to Philadelphia for two cheaper players. The 35-year-old goaltender played in 75 and 77 games two and three seasons ago, and had a key role in Carolina's run to the Stanley Cup final last year after being benched in the first round of the playoffs against New Jersey. Irbe was excellent when he returned against Montreal, Toronto and then Detroit in the Stanley Cup final. He finished the post-season with a 1.67 goals-against average. This season, however, he has seen his playing reduced as Weekes assumed the starting job. In November, a frustrated Irbe told the media: "If I am not playing I don't want to stay here. I am not going to lie about it. I need to play. I can't sit 10 games and kill myself, deprive myself of sleep and think what I'm doing wrong and how it has gone this far." ->discuss

Canes lose 8-2 to Kings - 8th of February 2003

Irbe played only the third period of last nights game after Kevin Weekes gave up seven goals in two periods. He faced four shots in the third, and allowed only Smolinski's hat-trick goal with 1:19 to go as the Canes outshot Los Angeles 7-4 in the third. The Hurricanes lost their fifth straight overall and seventh straight on the road. The defending Eastern Conference champions are now 1-10-0-2 in their last 13, and have dropped 13 of their last 14 games.

Sharks down Canes - 6th of February 2003

Brad Stuart, Scott Thornton and Vincent Damphousse scored consecutive power-play goals spanning the first and second periods as the San Jose Sharks downed the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 at HP Pavillion on Wednesday. The Sharks came into the game with a rather ordinary 15.8% success rate with the extra man, good for 18th place in the NHL. But Stuart broke a 1-1 tie at 10:14 of the first, beating Carolina's Arturs Irbe with a one-timer for his third of the season while Jan Hlavac was off serving a high-sticking penalty. A little over five minutes later, Thornton scored the eventual game-winner, registering his seventh of the season after Patrick Marleau dug the puck free with Aaron Ward off for hooking. Before the second period could end, San Jose made it 4-1 when Damphousse took advantage of a Bates Battaglia holding call, scoring his 14th of the season from the left wing at 18:20. With the Sharks 3-for-3 with the extra man, Carolina scored on its second power play at 7:44 of the third when Josef Vasicek ripped a snap shot past Nabokov from the left wing to answer a Mike Rathje third-period goal. Vasicek, who was put out on the power play with Jeff Heerema and Jaroslav Svoboda, picked up his sixth goal of the year and fourth in six games since Rod Brind'Amour's injury. Svoboda, who spent almost three weeks in Lowell before being recalled Wednesday, assisted on both Carolina goals after picking up only two goals and eight assists in 44 games in his first tour with the Canes this year. But any Carolina comeback hopes were dashed a mere 52 seconds later when Bryan Marchment stepped into a loose puck inside the Carolina blue line and beat Irbe for his second goal of the year, which provided the final margin. Irbe made 24 saves for Carolina to fall to 7-17-2 on the season, and in a bizarre twist, was passed on the Sharks all-time games played list for goalies by winning netminder Evgeni Nabokov, who stopped 27 of 29 Canes shots on the night in his 184th game for the franchise. Marleau had three assists on the night. San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo and Carolina's Kevyn Adams traded goals in the game's first 4:25 Cheechoo openend the scoring at 2:06 with his sixth of the season on a third rebound of an Adam Graves shot. Adams replied 2:19 later on an individual effort, circling the net and ripping a backhand past Nabokov for his fifth of the year at 4:25 to tie the score. The Sharks have won four of five in the most successful stretch of their season. But they're headed out on a seven-game road trip. Carolina, which dropped to 2-16-1 in its past 19 games, fell nine games under .500 with the loss and has now lost six straight on the road.

Leafs hold off Canes in rematch - 30th of January

Just as in last season's Eastern Conference Finals, goals were scarce and the hitting was plentiful as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes met for the first time since that series on Wednesday. A rowdy RBC Center crowd of 18,094 completed the atmosphere, banging giveaway thunder sticks and booing the visitors, but two goals from Mats Sundin and a three-point night from Alexander Mogilny led the Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Hurricanes, snapping Toronto's three-game losing streak. Sundin's first goal, 4:28 into the second, snapped an 0-for-30 skid on the power play for Toronto that spanned seven games, and in the process, ended a scoreless streak that had reached 163 minutes and 34 seconds and included back-to-back shutouts. The 31-year-old Swedish captain of the Maple Leafs, who has pulled out of this weekend's All-Star game to rest a sore shoulder, added his second of the night and 22nd of the year at 1:48 of the third, also on the power play as Toronto took a short-lived 2-0 lead. Just 1:47 after Sundin's goal, the line of Josef Vasicek, Erik Cole and Jan Hlavac combined to cut the Leafs' lead in half, with Hlavac netting his eighth of the season on the rebound of Cole's shot off a Vasicek feed. The Canes had chances to tie the score in the second half of the third, but Sami Kapanen missed an open net from 15 feet with Toronto goalie Ed Belfour out of position, and Belfour made a chest save off Jeff O'Neill with six minutes to go. "We played a hard game and they [Toronto] played hard too," said Hurricanes head coach Paul Maurice. "it was a real physical, tough game, there was not a whole lot of easy ice to skate. And we did a lot of things we wanted to do in the game." Mogilny, who set up both of Sundin's goals with nifty passes, scored what turned out to be a huge insurance goal with 3:15 to go, netting his 22nd of the year, taking a pass from Nik Antropov and beating Canes goalie Arturs Irbe to the far post. Ron Francis again pulled the Canes to within a goal, taking a Bret Hedican pass and finishing off a shorthanded three-on-two to make it 3-2 with 1:22 left in regulation. The Canes had one last late chance, but Tomas Malec's shot got through Belfour and trickled wide as time expired. "There was a lot of emotion out there and we saw it in the physical nature of the game," said Maple Leafs head coach Pat Burns. "It was tense and you don't see a lot pretty stuff when these kinds of games get big, but both teams were competing really well out there tonight." While the struggling Maple Leafs' power play got well with two goals in four chances, the Canes struggling unit continued to have trouble against the No. 1 rated road penalty kill in the NHL. The Hurricanes had an early power-play chance to start the game -- Alyn McCauley was sent off for hooking just 2:23 in -- and a late power-play chance in the first -- a cross-checking call against Antropov with 1:17 left -- but were stymied by the Leafs aggressive penalty kill the first time, and a Sean Hill hooking call at 19:00 ended the second chance. Belfour faced only five shots in the scoreless first. With just under 10 minutes to go in the period, he was tested for the first time, making a left shoulder save on an O'Neill one-timer from the slot. Among Irbe's seven saves in the first was a blocker save off Mogilny, who was making his return to the lineup after missing the Leafs' past two games with back problems, and a big pad stop on Sundin with under 10 seconds to go in the period. The Canes were their own worst enemies in the second period, missing two empty nets in the first 2 1/2 minutes. Francis rushed a wraparound attempt that Belfour handled easily and a wide-open Craig Adams hit the post behind Belfour from 10 feet. "It's just frustrating for everybody because you will remember the chances that we did and didn't finish," said Maurice. Moments later, the Canes found themselves behind 1-0 when Sundin cashed in on the Leafs' first full power play of the night, wristing a shot from the left faceoff dot that beat Irbe inside the right post. "There wasn't a whole lot you could do," said Maurice. "It was a [heck] of a pass and a [heck] of a shot." The emotion of the first matchup between last year's Eastern Conference finalists finally boiled over with 11:26 left in the second when Malec leveled the Leafs' Darcy Tucker with a clean hit. Tucker responded with a high-stick that cut Malec, resulting in a four-minute advantage for Carolina. Craig Adams and Wade Belak also got roughing penalties during the skirmish, with Belak answering to Carolina enforcer Jesse Boulerice later in the period. The Canes power play again scuffled, registering only two weak shots and a Jeff O'Neill chance off the right post, while Toronto defenseman Jyrki Lumme had a short-handed opportunity that Irbe denied. With 2:23 left in the second, Belfour flashed out the catching glove to rob Niclas Wallin during a four-on-four. About a minute later, a Mogilny chance from the deep slot rang the crossbar and ricocheted 40 feet straight up into the air before coming down on the goal line, just wide of the net where it was covered by Irbe. Carolina will be back in action on Thursday, when they travel to Tampa for a matchup with the Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum before five days off over the All-Star break. "Well, we certainly can't look past the importance of tomorrow night's game," said Maurice. "It's a critical game for us." "Mentally maybe a couple days away from the game will get some guys to loosen up their hands a little bit. But there's not a lot you want to change in the game."

Irbe's new helmet (UPDATE) - 27th of January 2003

Arturs Irbe, goaltender for the NHL Carolina Hurricanes and a board member of the Kids First Fund, is making a bold statement with a new internationally inspired goalie helmet. The helmet features the red and white flag of the Republic of Latvia, the logo of the Kids First Fund as well as the Carolina Hurricanes flag logo. The striking images are set upon a backdrop of a brick wall, representing Irbe's impenetrable goalie defense. The result is a message that is pure Irbe with a lot more color - and a design that is unique within the NHL. "I'm a long way from my home and my country is very important to me. The flag keeps me connected with Latvia and the Kids First Fund logo expresses the importance I place on helping children," said Irbe. "These are two very important parts of my life - my homeland and children." Arturs Irbe has been a supporter and board member of the Kids First Fund, an organization to help abused and abandoned children, since its founding in 1999. "We are so very fortunate to have Archie on our board," said Jay Sorensen, president of the Kids First Fund. "Seeing American athletes wearing uniforms with corporate logos is not new. But Arturs has taken endorsements to a personal level by displaying a logo that represents his true character and interest in helping abused and abandoned children." Dave Gunnarsson, a renowned artist in Sweden, created the colorful image. "This helmet is different from my other pieces because it emphasizes simplicity of design. I wanted something that communicated the strength of Arturs’ hockey skills and the depth of his integrity," remarked Gunnarsson. "It was a joy to create a helmet for someone I have admired ever since I first saw him play in Europe." Gunnarssons dramatic designs (www.DaveArt.com) can also be seen on the "Moose Mask" of Johan Hedberg with the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins and on the helmets of olympic ice hockey players for Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. Irbe's new helmets were recently discovered in the basement of a Minnesota-based sporting goods store where they had sat in their original boxes since 1982. "These helmets were an incredible find, because they have not been produced for many years,” said Steve Swenson, Irbe's personal equipment manager. "Arturs is very specific in his equipment needs, which makes equipment sourcing a challenge. I found a supply of helmets and cages which sat forgotten, sealed in original boxes, on a storeroom shelf. We now have a virtually endless supply of helmets to meet Arturs’ future needs."

Hurricanes end streak with 3-1 win! - 25th of January 2003

Josef Vasicek had a goal and an assist in his second game filling in for an injured Rod Brind'Amour, as the Carolina Hurricanes ended an eight-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers in the first game of a back-to-back, home-and-home series between the teams. The Canes, who outshot the Panthers 44-21 setting a season high for shots in a game, dominated from start to finish, but needed goals from Niclas Wallin and Vasicek late in the second period to break open a one-goal game. "It was almost getting to the point where you almost start to wonder what else you need to do in order to win," said Irbe. "Tonight was the night that we did everything right and it happened." Wallin made it 2-0 taking a Vasicek faceoff win at the left point, skating around the Florida defense and beating Florida's Roberto Luongo to the far post for his second of the year at 16:52. The Swedish defenseman, known more for his physical play, extended his points streak to three games with the goal, and has now scored five of his nine points this season in his past seven games. Vasicek, who centered a line with Erik Cole and Jan Hlavac, won another draw that Cole took behind the net and got back to Vasicek for his fifth of the year and third in two games. "We've been working very hard the last couple games and this game especially, we can build on it," said Vasicek. "We did everything pretty well -- our penalty killers played great, the power play worked, our five-on-five was good and Arturs played real well -- so that's going to help our confidence." Once Florida got started, Irbe made the lead stand up, stopping Kristian Huselius on a Florida two-on-one and making a poke-check to deny Steven Weiss a chance. With 5:15 left in the second and the score still 1-0 despite Carolina's domination, Irbe made his best save of the night stacking the pads and going cross ice to rob Jokinen. He also made two big saves off Panthers leading scorer Olli Jokinen in the third, but a Peter Worrell deflection of a Matt Johnson shot eluded him with 6:49 to go to ruin his bid for his first shutout of the season. "Timing is more important sometimes that how many or how you stop it," said Irbe. "The boys played the best game we have seen in a long, long, long, long, long time," said Irbe. "If they keep playing like that, we goalies have no choice but to make those stops. I'm very proud of our boys. It's over, and hopefully now we start to build." Carolina also ended a seven-game losing streak at RBC Center, having last won at home on Dec. 22 against Dallas, and stayed within five points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "It's a relief, but we know it's just one game and we have dug ourselves a hole," said Irbe, "so this one win won't mean anything if we don't put a string of wins together."

Arturs Irbe and RBC Centura Bank team up to benefit kids first found - 23th of January 2003

Carolina goalie Arturs Irbe may be a terminator on the ice, but outside the rink his fondness for his native Latvia is warming hearts. On January 24, 2003, Irbe will team with RBC Centura Bank in a special Carolina Hurricanes Kids ’n Community Foundation auction benefiting the Kids First Fund, a not-for-profit organization aiding abused and abandoned children in developing economies including Latvia. Irbe fans can participate in two ways: enjoy the game from the RBC Centura Bank suite (with an opportunity to meet Irbe after the game), or bid on unique hockey memorabilia during the game. "We hope to raise over $10,000 on January 24 to benefit the Kids First Fund and the work they are doing in Latvia", said Irbe. “Even though I live in the U.S. during the hockey season, my heart resides in Latvia. I’m proud and honored to be able to help fight child abuse and neglect in Latvia in this way." All of the funds raised by the event will benefit the Kids First Fund and the development of the Kids ’n Family House at the Bulduri Family Care Centre in Latvia. The Centre provides care for children ranging from toddlers to teenagers who have been removed from abusive home situations on a temporary or permanent basis. The new Kids ’n Family House will provide an environment unique to Latvia in which these children can live in a family setting that includes shelter for an abused parent. The funds will help transform a condemned building into a safe, attractive and loving home for children.

Losing streak continues - 23th of January 2003

The Canes lost 5-3 to the Wahington Capitals. Irbe, making his first start in five games, made 22 Saves and was spectacular in the second, robbing Brian Sutherby twice among eight saves. But the Latvian goalie was again beaten by a Jagr one-timer as the Capitals took their second lead of the game with 2:38 left in the second.

Arturs Irbe will be honored for his 500th career NHL game - 6th of December 2002

Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager for the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes announced today that the team will honor goaltender Arturs Irbe prior to Friday night’s game against the Florida Panthers at RBC Center. Irbe reached a major NHL career milestone when he played his 500th career NHL game on Jan. 23, 2002 against the Nashville Predators. Jim Gregory, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the NHL; Peter Karmanos, Jr., Owner and CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes; and Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford will be present for the special presentation. The National Hockey League recognizes a goaltender’s 500th game as a major milestone achievement, as it does for a skater’s 1,000th game. Irbe, who became the franchise’s all-time leader in wins on March 30, 2002 at Boston, is seven games shy of becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (Sean Burke, 281). He earned his 200th career NHL win on March 2, 2002 at Montreal. The ceremony will begin slightly after 7:00 p.m. and prior to the game’s faceoff. Irbe will also debut a new helmet for Friday’s game. Similar to his old helmet, the one Irbe will wear Friday night bears the red and white flag of his native country of Latvia and the Kids First Fund logo. Irbe is a board member and strong supporter of the Kids First Fund, which supports abused, abandoned and handicapped children. The charity concentrates its efforts in developing countries and economies including Latvia. For more information about the Kids First Fund or to see pictures of the special helmet, please visit kidsfirstfund.org.

Ozolinsh beats Irbe - 5th of December 2002

Ozolinsh and the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Wednesday's game with 4:2. Irbe made 18 saves.

Irbe wins again - 4th of December 2002

Irbe has won his fourth game of the season against the Nashville Predators 2:1. Irbe made 24 saves and showed a strong performance.

Irbe and his new pads...

Most hockey players take up golf, but Arturs Irbe has his own hobby. The Carolina Hurricanes goalie spent the summer breaking in his new goaltending equipment. After Irbe and his battered pads helped the Canes into the Stanley Cup finals, his new pads are among the few changes fans will notice as the team begins its fourth season in Raleigh. Aside from minor and cosmetic alterations, the Canes return almost the exact lineup that lost to Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals. Irbe was a big part of that success, as were his antiquated pads. His announcement during the conference finals that he would retire his gear was as shocking as if the 35-year-old workaholic had retired himself. Most goalies, after all, change equipment as reluctantly as golfers change a putter. Irbe said he had to make a switch. "At one point this season, they would have fell apart and you couldn't put them back together," said Irbe, who will start his third straight season-opener on Wednesday. "They got really heavy." Irbe said his old Koho leg pads, the ones with more than 400 games worth of stopped pucks, weighed about six pounds each. His new Eagle pads, with their contrasting white sheen, weigh about two pounds each. But those old pads -- which Irbe plans to refurbish and keep -- were supple. And Irbe estimates he spent 35 hours during training camp primping his new pads for Wednesday's season-opener against the New York Rangers. The tactics ranged from normal (using a needle and his trusty sewing kit) to bizarre (running over the leg pads with his pickup truck to soften them). "I used a truck to soften them up," Irbe said. "Different trucks. Run them over, let the truck sit on them for minute. Let them bend and soften them. It made a huge difference." How much of a difference, only the new season will tell. While Irbe's equipment has a new look, it isn't all that's different about the Canes.