Matt Irwin used to battle the Grizzlies as a Nanaimo Clipper – now he’s a part of the Colwood crew.
The longtime NHL defenceman and Brentwood Bay product has joined the Victoria Grizzlies as director of player development, marking a full-circle return to the BCHL – the league where his hockey journey began.
“Geoff (Grimwood) messaged me and wanted to know if there was any interest in helping out,” Irwin said. “Just the opportunity to get back in the hockey space and share some of the knowledge I gained over my career – that was something I wanted to pursue.”
Irwin officially announced his retirement from professional hockey on Nov. 16, 2024, after 11 seasons in the NHL.
His career began in Nanaimo, where he played for the Clippers from 2005-08 before moving on to UMass (NCAA) and eventually logging nearly 500 NHL games between the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, and Vancouver Canucks.
His time with the Clippers remains a standout chapter.
He helped lead the club to its second-ever BCHL championship in 2007-08, earned back-to-back BCHL coastal conference defenceman of the year honours (2007, 2008), and tallied 111 points over 178 games – the sixth-most by a defenceman in franchise history. In 2019, he was inducted into the Clippers’ Wall of Honour.
Now based in North Saanich, Irwin said the opportunity with the Grizzlies felt like the right fit – for both hockey and family.
“You play for as long as I did, your family is picking up and moving every year,” he said. “As you get older and have kids, the hockey career takes a bit of a backseat. So being here, staying in Victoria and helping out with an excellent organization just made sense.”
While the role is part-time, Irwin expects to be a steady presence – hopping on the ice when he can, watching games from the press box, and working directly with players.
“I’ve got a lot of experience, and I’m looking to help the players – especially the D-men – with parts of their game that suit their individual skill sets,” the 37-year-old said. “But also help them work together as a group – how to play the right way and be successful.”
He also hopes to serve as a sounding board for players chasing the next level.
“Everyone’s goal is the NHL, but there’s so much more hockey can bring,” he said. “Whether a career ends in the BCHL or continues through the NCAA or pro leagues overseas – I’ve seen all sides of it. I’m here to share what I’ve learned.”
Irwin was one of three additions to the Grizzlies hockey operations staff on Friday.
Gary Nunn, a former pro also from Victoria who played extensively in Europe, was named assistant coach. Nunn was a star for the Victoria Cougars (VIJHL), Salsa and Grizzlies (BCHL), and the Vancouver Giants (WHL) before building a lengthy pro career in the ECHL and Europe.
The third move of the trifecta was Bo Lewis, who joins as director of player personnel. He played in the VIJHL and BCHL in the mid-2010s before working as director of scouting for the Powell River Kings.
Earlier in the off-season, the club appointed Geoff Grimwood as head coach and promoted Suneil Karod to associate head coach and assistant GM.
“They’re investing in the team,” Irwin said. “You see that across the hockey world – a lot of ex-players getting into development roles. It’s not about telling kids what to do. It’s about guiding them through the game with real experience.”
That development-first mindset is reflected in the Grizzlies’ off-season recruiting class – a diverse group with talent from across North America and Europe.
Among the newcomers are Michael Dowdall (Coquitlam), Jase Johnstone (Whitehorse), Levi Eiter (Minnesota), Reece Gault (Manitoba), Niklas Karjalainen (Finland), George Lovell (Massachusetts), Nikita Meshcheryakov (Russia), Owen Warnick (Winnipeg), Vidar Blixt (Sweden), and Carter Capton (Lethbridge).
The Grizzlies’ 2025-26 regular season is expected to begin around the third weekend of September.
