Irving learned to play hockey on local ponds in Beverly, Massachusetts. He did not play indoor hockey until he was 10 years old. Irving played high school hockey for Beverly High School. Immediately after high school he played in Quebec where he played for a farm team of the Montreal Junior Canadiens. He returned to Massachusetts as a 19-year-old and joined the New England Amateur League. While there he played with Jimmy Logue who was a member of the United States Olympic team in 1964 and 1968. Irving was named to an all-star team that played in an international tournament in Lake Placid, New York. Logue was impressed by Irving's performance at the tournament. Logue told Irving if he was ever interested in playing international hockey to let him know.