Born in Calgary in 1932, Irvin was educated in Regina and later received his BComm from McGill University in Montreal, where his father, Dick Irvin Sr., was coach of the Canadiens hockey team. Following a short career with Shell Oil, Irvin was hired as assistant sports director for Montreal's CFCF-TV and CFCF Radio in 1961. He was promoted to sports director one year later, and remained in that position until his retirement in 1991. While working for the CTV affiliate in Montreal, Irvin Jr. joined CBC-TV's Hockey Night in Canada as a freelance broadcaster in 1966. To viewers of the program, Irvin is best known for his play-by-play coverage of the Montreal Canadiens. He also broadcast the teams' non-televised games on CFCF Radio from 1969 to 1997. Although he retired from Hockey Night in Canada in 1999, Irvin continues to host special sporting events for the public network. The author of six books on hockey, Dick Irvin is a 1988 media honouree of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Elizabeth Mooney