Did Sheahan Score? Yes He Did. And It Was Epic

By Christy Strawser
(WWJ) The joke went on, and on -- and then on some more -- about the Red Wings' Riley Sheahan and his inability to score a goal.

"Did Sheahan score?" had its own Twitter feed.

It had its own countdown clock, marking the hundreds of days since Riley last scored.

It even had its own website.

March marked a full calendar year since Sheahan scored. He appeared to be gunning for the record for most shots by a forward without scoring a goal.

But the joke ended in the most dramatic movie-of-the-week style Sunday night when Sheahan not only scored, he scored twice.

One of the goals was the final goal at Joe Louis Arena, the storied place where the Detroit Red Wings celebrated many of their most shining moments.

Twitter reaction was swift.

He had one game left, and like anyone featured in a sports legend he grabbed the moment and made it count.

The "Did Sheahan score" website that used to hold only the word "no" is now a celebration of his moment in the hockey hall of history.

Sheahan talked to MLive about the momentous occasion and played it low-key.

"It's pretty cool," Sheahan said. "There's a lot of things I'll remember in my career and it's definitely one of them. I guess in the bigger picture, it's unfortunate that they came so late.

"It is pretty cool and it's something I'll definitely take with me through the rest of my career."

Goal tender Jimmy Howard said when he saw it "I almost jumped out of my skates I was so happy for him."

"He had a smile from ear to ear," he added. "I could see it all the way to my net from the bench. It was really exciting."