UPDATE: Former NHL forward announces retirement from professional hockey

Riley Sheahan, a longtime forward for the Detroit Red Wings, has announced his retirement from professional hockey, according to Bill Potrecz of BP Sports Niagara. Sheahan, who was a first-round draft pick in 2010, played a total of 637 NHL games and 120 AHL games over a 12-year career that included six different NHL teams. He last played during the 2022-23 season, taking on a limited role with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans before spending 12 games with EHC Biel-Bienne in Switzerland.

Drafted after his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame, Sheahan played through his junior year before turning pro at the end of the 2011-12 season. He recorded 66 points in 114 games with the Fighting Irish, which translated well to the professional level, where he scored 38 points in his first 79 AHL games. By the 2013-14 season, Sheahan had moved up to the NHL, scoring 24 points in 42 games as a rookie, securing a regular spot on Detroit’s fourth line. He played for the Red Wings for four seasons before being traded to Pittsburgh in 2017 in exchange for Scott Wilson and draft picks. His role in Pittsburgh didn’t expand much, leading to another trade roughly a season later when he was involved in the acquisition of Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann from Florida.

This marked the beginning of his journeyman career, with moves to Edmonton, Buffalo, and Seattle over the next few seasons. Throughout his career, he served primarily as a depth forward, only surpassing 25 points in three seasons: 2014-15 (36 points), 2015-16 (25), and 2017-18 (32). In his later years, Sheahan faced injuries, landing on injured reserve in 2019, 2021, and 2022. His most recent designation on October 7, 2022, was due to an undisclosed injury, and he played only eight more games in North America before retiring. He finishes his career with 194 points in the NHL and 61 in the AHL. Sheahan mentioned to Potrecz that he is now involved with Sunday night development skates for the Niagara North Stars and is open to pursuing coaching in the future, although he prioritizes his family, including his wife and two young children.