He has served as a goaltending coach with Dinamo Riga, the Washington Capitals, and the Buffalo Sabres, as well as internationally with the Latvia men's national ice hockey team.

When the Moscow government sent tanks into Riga, Irbe was among those who took to the streets and put up barriers to protect buildings, radio stations, TV towers and historical landmarks.

[2] In the 1988–89 season, Irbe travelled to North America with his then club Dinamo Riga to play in a series of exhibition games against National Hockey League (NHL) teams.

Irbe began his playing career in North America with the International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, the Kansas City Blades.

With Irbe playing goaltender, the newly established Sharks made their first playoff appearance in the 1993–94 season and upset the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings.

For the next two years, Irbe served as the backup goaltender for the Dallas Stars and the Vancouver Canucks (for whom he played significant stretches with ample success) until he became the starter for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 1998–99 season.

On 19 March 2004, Irbe was recalled to the Carolina Hurricanes after goaltender Kevin Weekes was placed on the injured reserve list due to season-ending hand surgery.

Irbe is notable on the ice for his helmet and padding – he has worn them almost continuously since his NHL debut for the San Jose Sharks – which are creased and scuffed with puck marks and stains.

[13] During the 2023 IIHF World Championship co-hosted in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia, Irbe won a bronze medal together with the Latvian national team as a goaltending coach.

Irbe is also a member of board of directors of the Kids First Fund, a non-profit organization based in the United States which raises money for projects assisting abused and abandoned children in Latvia.