Legendary Moncton Wildcats Owner Robert Irving Passes Away
Robert Irving was a giant in junior hockey. The legendary owner of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats passed away just two days after his team fell just short of a second-straight Gilles-Courteau Trophy as league champion. Irving had owned the team since 1996, when he purchased the club and renamed them from the Moncton Alpines to the Moncton Wildcats.
Under his stewardship, Moncton became one of the premier organizations in all of junior hockey. That was only solidified after the team moved into the Avenir Centre in 2018, largely considered one of the true jewels of junior hockey arenas with a seating capacity just shy of 9,000. It was a co-host venue for the 2023 World Junior Championship and has become a central hub of activity in Downtown Moncton.
Among the wealthiest people in all of Canada as the co-CEO of J. D. Irving Limited and president of Cavendish Farms, Irving was lauded for his philanthropic endeavors both in and outside of hockey.
On the ice, the Wildcats were an annual competitor in the QMJHL. They won the league championship three times including most recently in 2025, hosted the Memorial Cup in 2006 and helped develop numerous NHL players. Among Moncton’s alumni: Brad Marchand, Keith Yandle, Corey Crawford, Phillip Danault, David Savard, François Beauchemin, Johnny Oduya, Ivan Barbashev and Conor Garland.
Additionally, current Moncton captain Caleb Desnoyers made history at the 2025 NHL Draft when he was selected fourth overall, the highest a Wildcat had ever been selected. The team was a two-time finalist at the Memorial Cup as well. The QMJHL has a beautiful tribute to the legendary owner detailing his many endeavors both inside the league and beyond, which you can read in full here .