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San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Arturs Irbe bronze plaque at HP Pavilion

SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME ARTURS IRBE BRONZE PLAQUE AT HP PAVILION

Former San Jose Sharks goaltender and current Washington Capitals goaltending coach Arturs ‘Like Wall’ Irbe was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame last November. Along with the 2010 induction class of Bruce Jenner, Keri Sanchez, and wrestling greats Dave and Mark Schultz, Irbe’s commemorative bronze plaque has been installed in the main concourse at HP Pavilion.

The inscription on his plaque:

“A member of San Jose’s inaugural NHL team, Arturs Irbe set the standard for being a Sharks player, on-and-off the ice. In 1993-94, he led San Jose to the biggest turnaround in NHL history as they made the playoffs with 82 points — a 52 point increase from the previous year. That season, Irbe won 30 games and played a then-record 4,412 minutes. He became the first Sharks goalie to be selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. In the 1994 playoffs, Irbe led the Sharks to an impressive first round upset of top-seeded Detroit. Irbe was one of the most popular players during the Sharks first decade, in large part due to his community work and selflessness. Irbe, who said he had to be ‘Like Wall’ during that memorable 1993-94 season, is the first ice hockey player to be inducted. Arturs Irbe was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.”

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