Riley Sheahan’s right-arm sleeve is mostly hidden by his hockey gear during games. In the NHL’s Deep Ink feature, he talks through the record player, wolf, windmill, tulips and other designs that bring music, family and hockey together.
Sheahan had liked tattoo art for years but waited until the ideas felt right. He and a Toronto artist built the sleeve over three long sessions near the end of an NHL season. The Kraken feature is the clearest source for its meanings because Sheahan explains the main pieces himself.
Riley Sheahan’s record player tattoo
The record player was the first design Sheahan wanted. It recalls drives to hockey tournaments when he and his father traded songs, and his dad’s collection of old records, which he gave him before the tattoo sessions. Some of the albums were already worn from years of use.
That family memory gives the sleeve a clear starting point. The player and records are recognizable images, but Sheahan’s story is what makes them specific to him.
The wolf tattoo
Sheahan traces the wolf to The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack, a book about people who lived with wolves and what they learned from the pack. He grew up with dogs and says he has always cared about animals.
He also connects the wolf to hockey: a team needs each player to do their part and stay connected to the group. The record player points to his childhood and his father; the wolf reflects an idea about teamwork that still matters to him.
Windmill and tulips tattoo
The windmill and tulips are for Sheahan’s grandmother, who is from the Netherlands. He describes her as a devoted supporter who follows his games despite being legally blind. The windmill and flowers refer to her Dutch heritage without using a name or date.
Together, the pieces turn a place into a family tribute. Sheahan can look at the images and think of his grandmother; the connection doesn’t have to be obvious to everyone else.
Building a sleeve around hockey
Sheahan had the sleeve done over three days, with sessions of about five or six hours. He waited until the NHL season was ending because fresh work needed time to heal. Some parts were uncomfortable, though the time with the artist also became part of the experience.
The right arm gives the designs room, but hockey equipment covers most of it during a game. The sleeve is easier to see in short sleeves or training photos, then disappears under his gear.
Designing the remaining space
Sheahan left space near the upper arm because he expected more family memories to add later. He mentioned his son as one of the people he wanted to include. The open area was planned, not a gap he had to fill immediately.
That gives the sleeve room to change without crowding its existing tributes to his father and grandmother. Sheahan didn’t try to fit every important moment into the first sessions.
Riley Sheahan away from the boards
The contextual photo shows Sheahan away from an on-ice moment; it isn’t close-up evidence of a particular tattoo. The NHL feature is the source for the designs and meanings, while game photos show how the right-arm sleeve is usually covered by his uniform.
What the photos can and cannot prove
The Kraken feature lets Sheahan identify the record player, wolf, windmill and tulips, and the photos show black-and-grey work across his right arm. They don’t provide a complete catalogue of every smaller mark, so those details are best left open.
The sleeve draws on separate parts of his life: music and his father, animals and teamwork, and his grandmother’s Dutch heritage. Those references make it personal without needing every image to share one subject.
Final look
Sheahan’s sleeve brings family, hockey and music together, with a wolf that stands for the team connection he values. The record player is a memory of his father; the windmill and tulips point to his grandmother. He also left room to add his son and other family moments later.
The Buffalo Sabres interview below offers a little more of Sheahan talking about hockey and the perspective he brought to the game.