Tim Sheehy * 1972 Olympic Team

Player:
Boston College
U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, 1972 Silver Medal - Sapporo
U.S. National Hockey Team, 1969-1971-1973
New England Whalers 1972-1975 & 1978
Edmonton Oilers 1975-1977
Birmingham 1977
Detroit Red Wings 1978
Hartford Whalers 1979-1980
Born: September 3, 1948, Fort Frances, Ontario

Tim Sheehy is a native of International Falls, Minnesota, where he led his high school team to three consecutive state championships and 59 straight wins from 1964-1966.
Presented with the opportunity to play major junior hockey in Canada as an NHL No. 1 draft pick, Sheehy declined, deciding instead to pursue an education and play college hockey at Boston College, where he enrolled in 1966. Freshmen were not eligible to play varsity hockey at the time, but during the three seasons he did play, Sheehy twice earned All-American honors, scoring 185 points in just 80 games for a point-per-game average of 2.31, a record that still stands at Boston College. Tim was also named NCAA College Player of the Year in 1970.
Sheehy then went on to play on U.S. National Teams in 1969, '71, and '72. He was also the co-captain of the 1972 silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team as well. After that, Sheehy signed his first professional contract with the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association. During his eight-year professional career he played for WHA teams in New England, Edmonton and Birmingham, along with NHL teams in Detroit and Hartford. During his pro career Sheehy played in 460 games, scoring 179 goals and 174 assists for 353 total points.
Tim was inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.
His brother, Neil, who also played in the NHL from 1983-1992, with Calgary, Hartford and Washington, is today a Minneapolis-based attorney/hockey agent. Presently, the two brothers work together, signing and representing some of the countries' top hockey talent into the professional ranks.
The Sheehy family, a real class act, remains synonymous with the sport of hockey in International Falls.
Tim is married with 4 children and lives in Southborough, Massachusetts.
Tim is very active in youth hockey in Central Massachusetts were he coaches two Central Mass Outlaw Select teams.

Why don't we remember them?
Just as the soldiers returned from the war in Vietnam with little or no fanfare, so to did the 1972 Silver Medal Olympic team. America's consciousness was focused on the turmoil going on in the streets and in the jungle of Vietnam. Not on speed skaters, Dianne Holum's Gold Medal in the 1,500-meter race or Anne Henning, the perky 16 year old, winning gold in the 500-meter event. Both young ladies are from Northbrook Illinois, and both broke the Olympic record in Sapporo. No, not even the Richmond Vermont slalom skier, gold medallist Barbara Cochran our next-door neighbor.  Yes we missed a glorious moment; yes we lost forever the chance to welcome back our soldiers and our Olympians.

For the past 20 years we have clung to the hero's of 1980, the U. S. Gold Medal Team, the "Miracle on Ice". It was now a quiet time in America, a time to enjoy the Olympics and reflect and to dream.

Well hockey fans it time to meet some new hero's. On October 1st, 2000, some 28 years late, eyes were opened as Massachusetts Hockey inducted the members of the 1972 Olympic Hockey Team " The Forgotten Team" into the Mass Hockey Hall of Fame.
As they spoke, I can tell you truthfully, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Stu Irving (Assistant Coach Merrimack College) was virtually plucked from the jungles of Vietnam. Serving several months there before being called to play for the team. All together 5 members of the team were serving in the military before being called to play.
Some of the honorees hadn't seen each other in 28 years and some had spoken only briefly in that time.
Induction Night:
Robbie Ftroek had lost contact all together as his schedule in the NHL kept him busy.
Robbie (Former LA Kings--Jersey Devil and now Boston Bruins coach ) gave a speech from the heart, as did the others, which had us captivated by their emotional recollection of the events and what it meant to them.
Stu Irving spoke with vivid re-collection of how he had been plucked from Vietnam, thanking Jim Logue (Assistant Coach Boston College) for recommending to Williamson, that he (Irving) join the team.
Tim Sheehy spoke of how he had played these international teams before without much success and how happy he was to have beaten them, (Poland 6-1 Czech 5-1) and how the 72 team softened up the Russians for the 1980 "Miracle On Ice Team".
Dave Silk (1980 Olympic Team) was the Master of Ceremonies, which made the give and take lively and quite funny.

The 1972 Olympic Team Roster:

Tim Sheehy speaks at his Massachusetts  Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony.