Prospect Watch: Falcon Soaring High

Riley Sheahan (2010), C, St. Catharines OHA Jr. B

A former fourth round selection by the Erie Otters in the 2007 OHL draft, Sheahan would have undoubtedly been drafted higher had he not made clear his intentions to go the NCAA route and select Notre Dame as his school of choice .. as a rookie last year, he played alongside 2008 Atlanta first rounder Daulton Levielle .. he helped to bring out Levielle's offensive talents by his sheer will, determination and appetite for the puck .. a fearless combatant who is very aggressive along the boards and hits hard .. does not take any guff as he willingly strikes back at the opposition and readily defends his teammates .. he is strong enough to muscle away the puck from the opposition without belting them and can make a play within a stride of getting away from the boards .. a strong skater and powerful on his skates, as he does not break stride when hit in motion .. first step could use an upgrade .. once in motion he is very difficult and near impossible to contain, as he maintains his acceleration throughout the entire sheet of the ice .. decent vision with strong passing skills but only average stickhandling ability .. he powers his way into the offensive zone rather than finessing his way through .. puts equal emphasis on coming back defensively as it is not uncommon for him to retreat deep into his own zone .. this season, he scored 7 of his 27 goals in shorthanded situations while leading the Falcons in points with 73 in 40 games .. Sheahan is a goal scorer and has the instincts to be able to produce at the Collegiate level, as he can operate in close quarters but also blast a shot from a distance .. he could stand to be more selfish in close and exercise his shot more .. constantly being shadowed and targeted, he does a good job to separate himself from his man and creates his scoring chances with his pugilistic approach to the game .. his play-reading skills also serve him well, as he is brave enough to go into danger areas but also recognizes hits when they are coming .. Sheahan has a great frame to build on and should be able to add additional weight to his body .. he will be a welcome addition to the Notre Dame program and a highly touted prospect, as his game mirrors that of a young Kevin Dineen.