Matt Irwin knows his way around the commonwealth. The Victoria, British Columbia native played two years at UMass and, as a San Jose Sharks farmhand, spent parts of four seasons with the AHL affiliate in Worcester.
Familiarity was enticing for the defenseman, who signed with the Bruins as a free agent (one year, $800,000), but an opportunity to play here was high on his list, too. With Dougie Hamilton now in Calgary, there is a need for a defenseman with a little offensive upside.
“There are some big losses on the blue line and there are some holes that need to be filled,” Irwin said after yesterday’s physical testing.