He played Junior "B" hockey in Scarborough, Ontario, from 1943 to 1947, including two years with the Scarborough Rangers. In 1947-48 he debuted with the Boston Olympics as they played in both the Quebec Senior Hockey League and the Eastern Hockey League. After years in the minors, Irwin got an NHL chance in 1952-53 with four games with the Montreal Canadiens, scoring an assist. He found himself back in the minors until he was traded to the New York Rangers at the end of the season. In the NHL Irwin played in 155 games and scored 2 goals and 27 assists.