Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/234294
IRISH IN THE PROS Riley Sheahan Called Up By Detroit Red Wings BY ANDREW OWENS R iley Sheahan earned a promotion to the Detroit Red Wings in December after the storied hockey franchise suffered a number of injuries to its regular club in the first two months of the season. Sheahan, who played at Notre Dame from 2009-12, had been called up twice before to the Red Wings after the club signed him in April 2012 as a firstround draft pick. This season, he had scored eight goals and recorded six assists in 23 games with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, an affiliate of the Red Wings. He made a mark early for Detroit by assisting on two goals and posting a plus/minus of plus-3 in his first three games. It didn't take long for Sheahan to adjust to the new environment, due largely to the fact that he had encountered so many teammates during his stints with the Griffins. "There's a lot of familiar faces," Sheahan told The Detroit News. "We shared the Calder Cup last year. It was a special group and there are a lot of close friends. It definitely helps [to have familiar teammates]. "There are so many good players on [the Red Wings and Griffins]. I know a lot of guys are itching for their chance in Grand Rapids. There are a lot of positions that could be filled easily, and you have to play your best." Sheahan, who played at Notre Dame from 2009-12, scored eight goals and recorded six assists in 23 games with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins prior to joining the Red Wings in December. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND Head coach Mike Babcock said there is an opportunity for the 6-2, 212-pound forward to "grab a piece of the pie." Babcock said Sheahan was "okay" but needed to "get quicker and add more pace to his game" following his stint with the Red Wings last season. Sheahan's call-up was made necessary by injuries to Johan Franzen, Justin Abdelkader, Henrik Zetterberg, Jimmy Howard, Darren Helm, Danny DeKeyser and Stephen Weiss.