Sheahan retires after 12 NHL seasons, last played in 2022-23

32-year-old forward played 637 games with 6 teams

Riley Sheahan has retired from the NHL after 12 seasons.

The 32-year-old forward last played two games for the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23. That same season, he played six games with Rochester of the American Hockey League and 12 games for EHC Biel-Bienne, in the National League, the top professional league in Switzerland.

Sheahan had 194 points (74 goals, 120 assists) in 637 regular-season games during 12 seasons with the Sabres, Seattle Kraken, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.

He also scored the first preseason goal in Kraken history on Sept. 26, 2021.

The first-round pick (No. 21) by Detroit in the 2010 NHL Draft, Sheahan had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 33 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“You definitely get voices in your head saying, ‘I wish I could still be doing this,’ Sheahan told BP Sports Niagara last week. “I feel debatably like I do have some juice left, but you kind of have to make the agreement what’s best for you and my family.

“Sometimes it’s hard. As a high-end athlete, I think we’re all wired kind of the same way to keep pushing for the next thing and to keep pushing, never be satisfied, that whole thing. I think that’ll be a good challenge for me as my career ends, to really think about it, reflect on the good moments.”

Sheahan, who is from Ontario and played with St. Catharines in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, will be transitioning into coaching and development with the Niagara North Stars, a youth hockey team which plays in St. Catharines.