Deep Ink: Riley Sheahan

Riley Sheahan knew he always wanted to get tattoos. As a lover of art, the Kraken forward had always appreciated what tattoo artists created with ink, he just didn't know what to have etched on his body.

"I thought about it for a long time," Sheahan said. "I think it's cool just to be able to represent yourself on your body…to do anything creative like that."

Over time, some ideas around imagery came together. But another obstacle still remained. Sheahan knew he wanted to begin a full sleeve (a large tattoo or collection of tattoos that cover most or all of someone's arm), and a piece like that takes time not just to have put on your body, but also to dry and heal. That's not an ideal scheduling ask for someone who straps pads over most of their arms and body and engages in a hard-hitting, sweat-inducing sport as their job.

But, three years ago, as the now 30-year-old's NHL season was coming to a close, he saw a window of opportunity. Sheahan found an artist he liked based in Toronto and, over the course of three days of 5-6 hour sessions, saw his vision come to life on his right arm.

An almost entire sleeve in three days? How high must Sheahan's pain threshold be?

"There's some parts that didn't feel good," Sheahan said with a smile. "But I heard there's other parts on your body that can hurt worse. (The artist and I) bonded over hockey and then it was nice being able to sit with a guy like that for so long. We talked for most of the time."

What images and meanings came out of all that work? Let's take a look.

The Record Player

The first piece of art Sheahan wanted included in his sleeve was a record player, and it was the first ink put on his body. It's an homage to his father, Mike. The two had always shared a love of music, and right before the Ontario native got started on his tattoos, his dad had given him his collection of old records.

"My dad and I always bonded over music driving to hockey tournaments when I was young, exchanging songs from current music to old music," Sheahan said. "When he gave me his records, I also got some legendary albums that had some wear and tear on it. . .they will be something that I hand down to my kids. It's definitely very important to me."

What does Mike Sheahan think of being part of an arm's worth of ink on his son's body? Although he's very into pop culture and music according to his son, Mike doesn't really understand getting tattoos, but "he likes it."

The Wolf

A while back, Sheahan read a book called "The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack," a story about a couple who lived with a pack of wolves for six years in the Sawtooth mountains in Idaho. They documented the life lessons learned during that time. When Sheahan read the book, it was incredibly meaningful to him.

"I grew up with dogs and I really love animals," Sheahan said. "(In this book), the wolf pack follows (the authors) around, and the story relates back to the social connections humans need based on the relationship between man and wolf. It was really interesting and stuck with me."

The lessons Sheahan took away from the book didn't just have a connection to him personally, he sees the tie to his profession, one that is based in building and thriving as part of a different kind of pack.

"It's about the connections humans need…I think about team, and I think a lot of the social connections we have learned came from the wolfpack…each person carrying their own importance and the leadership each person should carry with them."

The Windmill and Tulips

For the final core piece of his sleeve, Sheahan once again looked to his family. His "Oma" (one of the words used by the Dutch for grandmother) is from the Netherlands. Now in her 90's, "Oma" Sheahan isn't going to miss a single second of her grandson's hockey career.

"My grandma has been a very important part of my life," Sheahan said. "She's now legally blind, but she watches every game a few inches away from the TV and listens to the commentators. She loves it. She's been a big fan of me since I was young. She's been great.

"I knew I wanted something involving her, so we got the windmill and some tulips on it (to represent her homeland in Holland)."

"Oma" isn't able to see how Sheahan honored her on his body, but he did explain it to her after he got it. "It's an important piece for her," he said.

What's Next

There's still room on Sheahan's sleeve, particularly on his upper arm, and that's intentional. He wants to build out the rest of his sleeve and knows more moments will come that he will want to memorialize in body art. One is already front of mind. Sheahan and his wife Kecia welcomed son Slater earlier this year.

"I left some space for some other stuff," Sheahan said. "Now I've got a son, so I'm going to do something for him and just kind of go from there."

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Photography by Chris Mast