Irwin began to turn heads playing for Nanaimo of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he was named the best defenseman in the Coastal Conference for two straight seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08) with 49 and 53 points respectively.
He then played two seasons at the University of Massachusetts in Hockey East but wasn't drafted by an NHL team. Irwin signed with the San Jose Sharks on March 23, 2010 and played the next two full seasons for Worcester of the American Hockey League.
Irwin began to turn heads playing for Nanaimo of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he was named the best defenseman in the Coastal Conference for two straight seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08) with 49 and 53 points respectively.
He then played two seasons at the University of Massachusetts in Hockey East but wasn't drafted by an NHL team. Irwin signed with the San Jose Sharks on March 23, 2010 and played the next two full seasons for Worcester of the American Hockey League.
Irwin made his NHL debut against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 20, 2013 and scored his first NHL goal six days later against the Colorado Avalanche. He finished his rookie season with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 38 games.
Irwin had 19 points in each of the next two seasons with the Sharks before he was signed by the Boston Bruins as a free agent July 10, 2015. He played two games with the Bruins before he was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Providence for the remainder of the season.
He signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1, 2016. Irwin had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 74 games during the regular season and two assists in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Nashville, which advanced to the Stanley Cup Final but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
The Predators signed Irwin to a two-year, $1.35 million contract extension Jan. 9, 2018. He had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 50 games during the 2017-18 season and was scoreless in 12 playoff games. He had 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) in 195 games for Nashville before he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Korbinian Holzer on Feb. 24, 2020.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Signed as a free agent by San Jose, March 23, 2010.
- Signed as a free agent by Boston, July 10, 2015.
- Signed as a free agent by Nashville, July 1, 2016.
- Traded to Anaheim by Nashville with Nashville's 6th-round pick in 2022 NHL Draft for Korbinian Holzer, February 24, 2020.
- Signed as a free agent by Buffalo, October 9, 2020.
- Signed as a free agent by Washington, July 28, 2021.
