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► Black Hawks Sign Dick Irvin Coach Succeeds Eddolls in Return To Chicago; Ripened Richard In Brilliant Canadian Career The Chicago Black Hawks yesterday announced John Dickinson "Dick" Irvin, veteran National Hockey League coach, has been signed to a two-year coaching contract. He has been at Montreal as coach of the Canadiens the past 15 seasons. Irvin, nearing his 63rd birthday, succeeds Frank Eddolls, pilot of the last-place Hawks in the 1954-55 season. Eddolls will be offered a xoaching job with the Buffalo Bisons of the American .Hockey League. The Bisons are Chicagos No. 1 farm team. The Hawks announcement, made from the office of board chairman James B. Norris, hailed Irvin as a top-flight coach, an especially great handler of young talent. He took over the Canadiens 15 years ago when they were at their lowest ebb and built them into the constant contender of the past several years. Among the hockey players he has developed are Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. Irvins first coaching job in the NHL was in Chicago, where he started as an assistant in 1929-1930, helping get the Hawks into the playoffs for the NHL title. In 1930-31, he took the Hawks into the finals. 26 Seasons as NHL Coach He has served 26 seasons as an NHL coach. During that time, he has piloted four Stanley Cup championship teams, three of them in Montreal and one in Toronto. For the past five seasons, he has put the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup finals, a record performance, and only once during his career did he fail to have a teamin a play-off berth, in 1947-48 when he was coach of the Canadiens. A review of his record showed that since he started his coaching career in 1929-30, his teams have finished first eight times, second nine times, third five times and fourth, fifth and sixth once each. The Hawks hailed Irvins selection as further proof that Norris was serious in attempts to get the best available men for his hockey club. In the past season, the Hawks said, Norris spent over 00,000 for playerv talent and at midseason laid out another 50,000 for purchase of the Bisons. Irvin lives at-Mt. Royale, a suburb of Montreal, with his wife and two children. He was not in Chicago when the announcement of his appointment was made. In Montreal, Richard had five words to describe his reaction to the announcement that Irvin had been signed to coach the Black Hawks. Said the stunned hockey idol, Irvins most famous pupil: "Really! I cant believe it."- Shaking his head in disbelief, The Rocket of the Montreal Canadiens said, "Its going to be really tough to play for a new coach." A United Press reporter informed Richard of Irvins appointment while he was attending a luncheon at which he was the guest of honor. The luncheon marked the start of a new career for him, that of a wrestling referee. Richard said he had heard rumors that Irvin might retire from the Canadiens coaching post he has held for the past 15 seasons. "But I never believed them," he said. "I never dreamed hed quit as the coach of the Canadiens." Richard was asked if he might consider taking the job of Montreal coach if it were offered to him. "No, not right now," he said. "I want to play for a few more years."
