Dick Irvin is a graduate of McGill University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree. After several years in commerce, he turned to sports broadcasting and became well known as the Sports Director for CFCF radio and CFCF-TV in Montreal. Irvin often worked as color commentator on Hockey Night in Canada with Danny Gallivan doing the play by play of Montreal Canadiens broadcasts. Through the 1970s and early 1980s, Irvin often acted as both the colour commentator and the studio host for telecasts from Montreal. This meant he often missed the beginnings and ends of periods as he moved from ice level to the broadcast booth and back.