Goalie Robbie Irons enjoyed a solid minor league career spent mostly with the Fort Wayne Komets of the IHL. He was considered a decent player but not quite good enough for the big leagues on a consistent basis. Through a series of unusual circumstances he made a brief appearance in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.
Born in Toronto, Irons starred for the OHA's Kitchener Rangers and led the league with three shutouts in 1966-67. The next year he joined Fort Wayne and remained in the minors until 1981 apart from his short stint in the NHL.
Irons was originally the property of the New York Rangers. He was acquired along with Camille Henry and Bill Plager for Don Caley and Wayne Rivers in June 1968. The next year, he was an emergency back up on the bench when he replaced Glenn Hall for three minutes and did not allow a goal. His three minute stay in the NHL set a league record for the fewest career minutes played by a big league goalie.
The solid backstopper's minor pro credentials were the complete reverse of his NHL tenure. Irons guarded the Komets' net for parts of three decades before retiring in 1981. He left the game to take a position with the same soft drink company with which he traditionally worked in the off-season.
