Riley Sheahan

This article is about the Canadian ice hockey player. For the American racing cyclist, see Riley Sheehan.

Riley Sheahan
Sheahan with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018
Born	(1991-12-07) December 7, 1991 (age 32) St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Pittsburgh Penguins Florida Panthers Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres Seattle Kraken EHC Biel
NHL draft	21st overall, 2010 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2011–2023

Riley Michael Sheahan (born December 7, 1991) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres and Seattle Kraken, as well as for EHC Biel of the National League (NL). He was drafted 21st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. ^[1]

Early life

Sheahan was born on December 7, 1991, in St. Catharines, Ontario, ^[2] to Mike and Peggy Sheahan. ^{[3] [4]} Basketball was the dominant sport in his family, as both of his parents had played: his mother and her twin sister were Ontario University Athletics all-stars for Brock University, while his father coached high school basketball after his playing career ended. ^[5] Sheahan was a shooting guard for St. Francis Catholic Secondary School until ninth grade, when he decided that he would rather focus on ice hockey than basketball. ^[5]

Playing career

Junior

Sheahan played junior B ice hockey in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League with the St. Catharines Falcons playing both centre and wing. During his first season with the Falcons, Sheahan played with Atlanta Thrashers first round pick Daultan Leveille. Sheahan collected 49 goals and 85 assists over two seasons with the Falcons. ^[6] He was recognized for his offensive output with the OHA Junior B Top Prospect Award in 2008.

College

Following the two seasons in St. Catharines, Sheahan decided to forgo major junior hockey with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) to play NCAA Division I college ice hockey with the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). ^[7] While with the Fighting Irish, Sheahan was invited to take part in Canada's 2011 National Junior Team selection camp ^[8]

Professional

Detroit Red Wings

On April 5, 2012, the Detroit Red Wings signed Sheahan to a three-year, entry-level contract. ^[9] On April 7, 2012, he made his NHL debut for Detroit against the Chicago Blackhawks. ^[10] On January 11, 2014, Sheahan scored his first career NHL goal, against Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings. On July 1, 2014, the Detroit Red Wings signed Sheahan to a two-year, $1.9 million contract extension. ^[11] On June 16, 2016, the Red Wings signed Sheahan to another two-year contract extension. ^[12]

On April 9, 2017, Sheahan scored his only two goals of the 2016–17 season during the final game at Joe Louis Arena, including the final goal in the arena's history. Sheahan had set a team record for the most games to start the season without a goal, and he also set an NHL record as the only forward with at least 100 shots to start the season without a goal. ^{[13] [14]}

Sheahan in a game against the Washington Capitals in 2017.

Pittsburgh Penguins

On October 21, 2017, Sheahan was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins (along with a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft) in exchange for Scott Wilson and a third-round pick in 2018. ^[15] He finished the 2017–18 season with 32 points in 81 games. On June 27, 2018, Sheahan signed a one-year contract with the Penguins. ^[16]

Florida Panthers

On February 1, 2019, Sheahan was traded to the Florida Panthers (along with teammate Derick Brassard, a second-round pick and two fourth-round picks) in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. ^[17] He finished the 2018–19 season with 19 points in 82 games.

Edmonton Oilers

On September 5, 2019, Sheahan signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers. ^[18] He skated in 66 regular season games with the club, scoring 15 points. He also went scoreless in four postseason games.

Buffalo Sabres

On December 29, 2020, Sheahan signed a professional tryout contract with the Buffalo Sabres to attend their training camp. ^{[19] [20]} On January 8, 2021, the Sabres signed Sheahan to a one-year, $700,000 contract. ^[21] In the shortened 2020–21 season, Sheahan appeared in 53 regular season games for the Sabres in a checking-line role. He contributed with 4 goals and 13 points, as the club finished bottom of the league.

Seattle Kraken

As a free agent from the Sabres, Sheahan was signed to a one-year, $850,000 contract with expansion club the Seattle Kraken on September 1, 2021. ^[22] Sheahan scored the Kraken's first ever preseason goal on September 26, 2021 in a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks. After making the Kraken opening night roster, Sheahan endured a short assignment to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, before returning and remaining on the Kraken in a depth forward role. He appeared in 69 regular season games, used as the team's primary penalty killer, in collecting 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points.

Return to Buffalo

On August 10, 2022, Sheahan as a free agent returned to the Buffalo Sabres, on a one-year, two-way, $950,000 contract. ^[23] On October 31, 2022, Sheahan was assigned to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League after being waived by the Sabres. ^[24] The Sabres brought him back to their NHL roster on November 15, 2022. ^[25] On November 27, 2022, after two games with the Sabres, Sheahan was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract because of Sheahan's refusal to return to AHL affiliate, Rochester Americans. ^[26]

EHC Biel

On December 1, 2022, Sheahan joined EHC Biel of the National League (NL) for the remainder of the 2022–23 season. ^{[27] [28]}

He officially announced his retirement from professional hockey on October 12th, 2024. ^[29]

Personal life

Sheahan is the nephew by marriage of Rocky DiPietro, a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. ^[5] He plays guitar in his free time. ^[30] In 2021, Sheahan and fellow hockey player Tyler Smith started the Speak Your Mind podcast to address mental health issues in and out of professional sports. ^[31] Sheahan was diagnosed with depression. ^[32]

Legal issues

On October 29, 2012, Sheahan was stopped by police in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after which a roadside test determined he was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.30, nearly four times the legal limit. Sheahan was wearing a purple Teletubby costume and was carrying the ID of fellow Red Wings' prospect Brendan Smith when arrested. He told police he was carrying Smith's ID so he could get into bars, as he was underage at the time. ^[33]

Sheahan pleaded guilty in Michigan's 61st District Court on December 13, 2012, to operating a car with a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 or higher. He was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to spend 49 hours on a work crew. ^[33]

Sheahan had previously been arrested on alcohol-related charges when he was charged with public intoxication and consumption of alcohol by a minor in 2010 when he was a freshman at Notre Dame. ^[33]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006–07	St. Catharines Falcons AAA	SCT U16		46	33	42	75	80		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	St. Catharines Falcons	GHL		—	—	—	—	—		3	1	1	2	0
2007–08	St. Catharines Falcons	GOJHL		45	22	39	61	39		16	5	10	15	14
2008–09	St. Catharines Falcons	GOJHL		40	27	46	73	55		11	8	5	13	30
2009–10	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	CCHA		37	6	11	17	22		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	CCHA		40	5	17	22	28		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	CCHA		37	9	16	25	24		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		1	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		7	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		72	16	20	36	33		24	3	13	16	10
2012–13	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		31	8	10	18	12		8	1	4	5	0
2013–14	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		42	9	15	24	6		5	0	0	0	0
2014–15	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		79	13	23	36	16		7	2	1	3	2
2015–16	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		81	14	11	25	12		5	0	1	1	4
2016–17	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		80	2	11	13	14		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		8	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		73	11	21	32	4		12	1	2	3	2
2018–19	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		49	7	2	9	13		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Florida Panthers	NHL		33	2	8	10	4		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		66	8	7	15	6		4	0	0	0	2
2020–21	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		53	4	9	13	8		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Seattle Kraken	NHL		69	4	13	17	2		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Charlotte Checkers	AHL		4	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Rochester Americans	AHL		6	0	3	3	2		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		2	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	EHC Biel	NL		12	3	4	7	2		4	0	1	1	4
NHL totals				637	74	120	194	97		33	3	4	7	10

Awards and honours

Award	Year
AHL
Calder Cup champion	2013

References

1. NHL.com - Players
2. "Riley Sheahan Stats and News". National Hockey League . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
3. Roose, Bill (February 4, 2015). "Dads cherish trip with their Wings". National Hockey League. Detroit Red Wings . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
4. Kulfan, Ted (February 4, 2016). "Wings watch their manners but have fun with moms around". The Detroit News . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
5. Duff, Bob (April 3, 2015). "Bob Duff: Wings centre Riley Sheahan big into basketball". Windsor Star . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
6. "Falcons season statistics". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
7. Riley Sheahan Bio - UND.COM - University of Notre Dame Official Athletic Site
8. Hockey Canada Selection Camp: Team Profile Archived 2015-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
9. Bowness, Rick (April 5, 2012). "Wings sign Sheahan to entry-level deal". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
10. Beam, Todd (April 6, 2013). "Wings recall Riley Sheahan". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
11. Roose, Bill (July 1, 2014). "Sheahan gets two-year extension". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
12. Kujawa, Kyle (June 16, 2016). "Detroit extends Sheahan and Lashoff". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
13. Savage, Brendan (April 9, 2017). "Watch Red Wings' Riley Sheahan end 79-game drought with first goal". MLive. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
14. Sipple, George (April 9, 2017). "What slump? Riley Sheahan scores two goals in Joe Louis Arena finale". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
15. Kujawa, Kyle (October 21, 2017). "Scott Wilson and third-round draft pick acquired from Pittsburgh". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
16. "Penguins re-sign Riley Sheahan to one-year contract". sportsnet.ca. June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
17. "Brassard, Sheahan traded to Panthers by Penguins". National Hockey League. February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
18. "RELEASE: Oilers sign Riley Sheahan". Edmonton Oilers. 5 September 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
19. "Sabres add Sheahan on PTO". The Sports Network . Retrieved December 29, 2020.
20. "BUFFALO SABRES 2020-21 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER" (PDF). Buffalo Sabres Digital Press Box.
21. Lysowski, Lance (8 January 2021). "Sabres sign forward Riley Sheahan to one-year, $700,000 contract". The Buffalo News . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
22. "Kraken add depth with Veteran forward Riley Sheahan". Seattle Kraken. September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
23. "Sabres sign Sheahan to 1-year, 2-way contract". Buffalo Sabres. August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
24. "Amerks Announce Roster Moves". Rochester Americans. October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
25. Ryndak, Chris (November 15, 2022). "Sabres recall Bjork, Sheahan from Rochester". NHL. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
26. "Sabres move to terminate Riley Sheahan's contract for declining to join Amerks". BuffaloNews.com. November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
27. "Riley Sheahan wechselt per sofort zum EHC Biel". ehcb.ch (in Swiss High German). December 1, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
28. "EHC Biel confirms signing of Riley Sheahan". swisshockeynews.ch. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
29. "Sheahan retires after 12 NHL seasons, last played in 2022-23". NHL.com. October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
30. Savage, Brendan (January 13, 2016). "Red Wings Q&A: Riley Sheahan on life at Notre Dame, a memorable NHL debut, playing guitar". Flint Journal . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
31. Baker, Geoff (October 4, 2021). "Kraken's Riley Sheahan hosts mental-health podcast, sharing his experiences in hope of helping others". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
32. "Seattle Kraken players open up about mental health challenges". king5.com. January 13, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
33. "Riley Sheahan pleads guilty". ESPN. December 13, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2018.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Thomas McCollum	Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick 2010	Succeeded by Anthony Mantha