Just When My Irbe Collection Couldn't Possibly Get Crazier! "Mask" Your Shock...

[IrbeFan4Life]

Here is the piece I've been very excited to add! My all-time favorite athlete in the history of sports is Arturs Irbe and I used to be a Beckett published supercollector for his cards and memorabilia. Though I've given up cards, I continue to try and find anything of Archie for the museum, and when this opportunity came up, I couldn't resist.

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Arturs Irbe, born in Riga, Latvia on February 2, 1967 was drafted 196th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1989. A standout goalie proving his worth in the USSR and winning the Soviet Rookie of the Year award in 1987-88, Irbe then proved his skill to North America as he represented both Riga and CSKA Moscow in the Super Series tournaments that saw them play NHL squads. After the collapse of the USSR, Irbe was re-drafted by San Jose in the Dispersal Draft of 1991 and he made his way over to the NHL. In his first season in North America, he only appeared in 13 games for the Sharks, spending most of the year with the Kansas City Blades. He was a first team all star in the IHL that year, a James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, and he also led the Blades to win the Turner Cup (the IHL league championship). The following season, he became the full-time backup in San Jose. He recorded the first ever shutout in franchise history as it was one of the few highlights in a season that saw San Jose go an all-time league worst 11-71-2 record. He then became a 74 games ironman the following year and saw the team once again set a league record, but this time for biggest improvement in points from one year to the next. He led the Sharks to a seven game first round upset of the first seed Red Wings and he then got the Sharks to seven games against the Maple Leafs, though the Sharks were defeated. In the lockout shortened 1994-95 season, Irbe's numbers declined slightly, though he did record more shutouts than all of the previous year. He struggled in the playoffs as he and Wade Flaherty shared minutes, once again getting to the second round, but this time being defeated by Detroit. After being attacked and subsequently injured by his dog in the 1995 off-season, Irbe returned in 1995-96 some of the worst numbers of his career, among those stats being a 4.59GAA and a 0.860% save average in 22 games. The worry was that he would be done at that point. Fortunately, the Dallas Stars signed Archie to be the back-up to Andy Moog and Irbe proved that there was a lot more hockey to play. He put up a strong year and he was then acquired by the Canucks in 1997-98. In Vancouver, he posted some of the best numbers of his career and in 1998, he was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes. In Carolina, he hit his stride. Over six seasons, he appeared in 309 games with the franchise and got them to the playoffs in three of them. His highlight would definitely have to be when he led the underdog Hurricanes into the Stanley Cup Final against a stacked Detroit Red Wings squad. Though the Canes fell in five games, Irbe's numbers were the best of all playoff goalies that year, even getting better numbers than Hasek (1.67GAA and 0.938% save average). The following season, Irbe struggled and he was eventually placed on waivers. The team gave him a final shot in 2003-04 to muster up some trade interest in him. In the off-season, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but due to the lock-out in 2005-06, he never played for the them. He did play for Latvia in the 2006 Winter Olympics and he was the flag-bearer for the nation as well. He continued to play in Europe until the end of the 2006-07 season. Sometimes the end of a playing career does not signal the end of a goaltender's career, however. Such was the case with Irbe. He took over the role of goalie coach in Washington for two seasons from 2009-2011 and then coached for the Buffalo Sabres in 2014-15, most notably dressing as an emergency backup to Jhonas Enroth on November 18, 2014.

In his NHL career, he appeared in 568 games, recording a 218-236-79 record with 33 shutouts, a 2.83GAA, and a 0.899% save average. In 51 playoff games, he recorded a 23-27 record with a 2.91GAA, one shutout, and a 0.900% save average.

What you are looking at right now is a JOFA mask painted and prepared for use for Arturs Irbe (while with the Canes) by his mask designer Tony Jarrett in 1999. Based on the wear on the mask, it is clear that a cage was once affixed to it indicating possible usage, either as a practice mask, backup mask or tried on once. There is also salt deposits in the metal on the inside of the mask, as well as on the metal buttons on the white part of the mask and the strap. It could be from Irbe's use, it could be that half of the mask was a repaint/redesign from a previous season, or the salt could be from the mask being second-hand, as Irbe often had to find his masks in such a shape and shipped in from places like Sweden. I am told this mask was acquired from the Hurricanes' equipment manager and apparently Arturs wanted a mask depicting his native Latvia somewhere on it, however, he never ended up actually using it in games due to his affinity for not using new gear (possibly because the paint design is a bit bizarre).

Acquired from: Kris Corso, originally from Hurricanes' ex-equipment manager Wally Tatomir.

Dates of Game Use: N/A

Photomatched: No

[creasecollector]

Now that mask is a thing of beauty! Wow!

Huge addition to your collection! Must have been awesome to unbox that bucket!

[Irbe3201]

Congrats Bruce!

[Leafsman]

Where's the cage?

[IrbeFan4Life]

Thanks for all of the comments everyone!

Now that mask is a thing of beauty! Wow!

Huge addition to your collection! Must have been awesome to unbox that bucket!

That scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones replaces the Idol with the sand is probably the best way to describe my opening of the package. Suspenseful, exciting, memorable, the only difference was no giant boulder chasing me.

It is probably one of my favorite things I have ever added to my collection among all things including cards and memorabilia.

[IrbeFan4Life]

Where's the cage?

As this was a mask Irbe never wore in game action, the cage was very likely re-used in a mask that he did wear.

[creasecollector]

As this was a mask Irbe never wore in game action, the cage was very likely re-used in a mask that he did wear.

Do you know what model cage Irbe wears?

Have you considered buying a cage to fit this mask to recreate that 'look'? Or do you want to leave it as is?

[IrbeFan4Life]

Do you know what model cage Irbe wears?

Have you considered buying a cage to fit this mask to recreate that 'look'? Or do you want to leave it as is?

I know the look and model, yes. I have considered it as I also have a Ron Low game worn Jofa without a cage that would look more complete with it.

[sparty07]

Cool stuff, it's a hard choice whether or not to cage. Keep as is or "restore" to it's natural glory? From a presentation standpoint I vote to add the cage.

[IrbeFan4Life]

Cool stuff, it's a hard choice whether or not to cage. Keep as is or "restore" to it's natural glory? From a presentation standpoint I vote to add the cage.

I would agree! The odds of me selling it (or the Ron Low for that matter) are slim, but should that decision ever come, it is easy to disclose that the cage was added later to complete the mask. Downside is that one of those cages is still well over $100USD even nowadays.