Height: 5-8
Weight: 170
Shoot: L
Born: 11 Jan 1949, Weymouth MA
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | New York | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | New York-Jersey | |||||||||||
| Edmonton | ||||||||||||
| Totals (2 teams) | ||||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Edmonton | |||||||||||
| 1977-78 | Indianapolis | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Sheehan, the Racing Raider • by Hugh Delano • The Hockey Spectator • November 10, 1972
Samson had his long hair trimmed by Delilah and immediately lost his strength. Bobby Sheehan listened to the subtle hints of his teammates and consented to visit his neighborhood barbershop. There is no evidence that the lack of long locks is sapping the energy of one of hockey's fastest skaters. Sheehan has been the most dynamic skater and scorer for the Raiders and his bold rushes have captured the fancy of the crowds in Madison Square Garden. After the first two weeks of the season, the 5-8, 160-pound center from Weymouth, Mass., led the Raiders with seven goals, four assists, 11 points, five power play goals and four clutch goals. He and linemates Brian Perry and Norm Ferguson produced ten of the team's 28 goals and 23 of its 74 scoring points. By the end of the third week, Sheehan was the leading scorer in the World Hockey Association with nine goals and nine assists for 18 points. Four times, he had scored two goals in a game and was averaging 1.80 points per game, the top figure in the WHA. "Bobby's definitely been the bright spot for us," said assistant general manager Herb Elk. "It's vital for us to build an exciting image with our fans, and Bobby certainly has been doing that." Sheehan's chief asset is speed and carrying the puck on long rushes. "I've always relied on my speed and figure I can skate with anybody," said the 23-year old former Montreal Canadien and California Golden Seal. Sheehan started the season with hair which stretched below his shoulders and bushy muttonchop sideburns. He took some good natured razzing from fans and plenty of ribbing from his teammates. Then one day he showed up at practice with a totally new, conservative hairstyle. It was difficult at first to recognize the player in uniform #7 as Bobby Sheehan. His thinned out sideburns reached only to earlobe level. His hair was closely cropped on the back of his neck. Bobby's teammates and fans could hardly believe the transformation. "The guys on the team suggested that I get my haircut one day after practice," Sheehan said with a chuckle. "There were 23 of them and only one of me. I accepted their suggestion." The Raiders' "Mr Neat" now is cultivating another form of hair. He's growing a mustache. That leaves younger brother Kevin as the hairiest member of the Sheehan family. Kevin, who had a training camp trial with the Raiders and now plays for for the Eastern League Long Island Ducks, sports Afro-style hair and a goatee. Long hair or short hair, Bobby has become the center of debate among Madison Square Garden hockey devotees. Raider followers claim he's a faster skater than the Rangers Gene Carr. Ranger loyalists, of course, claim their man is the speediest on skates. The only way to prove who is fastest would be to stage a 1-on-1 skate off between the two speedsters. Such competition, however, is unlikely, largely because of the certain sentiments between representatives of the rival leagues. Carr, incidentally, has the longest hair among the Rangers and his curly, bleach blonde locks have earned him the sobriquet of "Goldilocks" or "Jean Harlow" by fans and teammates. As a rookie last season, his teammates suggested he get a haircut. When he did not, they gave him an impromptu trimming aboard the Rangers team bus. Hair and speed seem to go hand in hand in New York hockey. |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)
There are definite signs of Bobby Sheehan maturing, which is all for the best in his hockey career but definitely at the expense of the sport's gossip mills. Sheehan, whose blinding speed carried him from kids' hockey in Massachusetts to the top junior ranks of Canada, was the sensation of the Ontario junior loop merely because of his social life. When the St. Catharines team tried to discipline him, the appointed disciplinarian ended up having as good a time as Bobby. Now he's a spectacular center with the Oilers. Incredibly, he's also the possessor of an admirable defensive record, for there was a time when that portion of his game suffered. Sheehan scored 19 goals and 39 assists in 1974-75 — and all of his fans back in Weymouth, Massachusetts, expect much more in 1975-76. |
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