Sheahan, Daley excited to face former teams

At Pittsburgh's morning skate on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena ahead of their matchup with Detroit, Riley Sheahan was standing on the Penguins bench surrounded by Red Wings, many of them greeting their former teammate with big hugs.

It was the first time they've seen each other since the Red Wings sent Sheahan and a fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Scott Wilson and a third-round pick on Oct. 21, and it's been an emotional buildup thus far for the 26-year-old heading into his first game against Detroit.
"I saw a couple of them last night out for dinner and then seeing them this morning during pregame skate, it's awesome," Sheahan said. "They've been great to me, I think everybody in the organization has been great to me. So it's good seeing some old faces and catching up a bit."
That was Sheahan's first trade, as he had spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings up to that point. He notched 98 points (38G-60A) in 292 games with Detroit after being their first-round draft pick (21st overall) in 2010.
"I think it's emotional, especially when you go back to the team that drafted you," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think any time a player goes back, I can only speak for my own personal experiences, but being around a lot of players, I think when they go back for that first time it's an emotional experience. I don't think it will last that long. I think once the puck drops the game becomes the game and everybody just plays, but certainly the buildup I think to it is an emotional experience for players."
It helps that Detroit is now in Little Caesars Arena as opposed to Joe Louis Arena, where Sheahan spent the majority of his Red Wings career. It also helps that the Penguins desperately need a victory having won just four of their last 11 games heading into tonight.
"It'll be a lot of fun to face off against some old friends," he said. "I think I'm going to have to do a good job of trying to focus because we need two points here. But it'll definitely be fun to see some of them out on the ice."
Sheahan isn't the only player going against his former team for the first time. Tonight will be the Penguins' first look at Trevor Daley in a Red Wings jersey since the defenseman signed a three-year deal with the organization this past summer.
"It's exciting," Daley said, who wasn't able to catch up with anyone Friday because his whole family is in town. "A lot of good close friends over there. Little bit of chirping back and forth, so I'm looking forward to it."
Daley was a key contributor to the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cups, tallying 41 points (11G-30A) in 109 regular-season games and registering 11 points (2G-9A) in 36 postseason contests. But his biggest impact came as a veteran leader and locker-room presence.
"Trevor's just a great person, first and foremost," Sullivan said. "I think his play on the ice speaks for itself. He was a terrific player for us in our two Stanley Cup runs. Real mobile defenseman, puck-moving guy, real good offensive instincts. Has a little swagger to his game, but I can't say enough about him as far as what he brings to a locker room or just his character as a person. You don't meet too many guys that are as selfless as Trevor is. I thought he was great with our young guys. He was one of those glue-type guys that brings teams together. I just can't say enough about him. He's just a terrific person."
Looking back at his time in Pittsburgh, Daley still can't believe how well it worked out after the team acquired him from Chicago on Dec. 14, 2015.
"It's surreal," he said. "It's hard to even imagine. I was coming out of Chicago just looking for an opportunity to get a chance to play again. I wasn't playing much in Chicago. Going to Pittsburgh I landed there at the right time. Everybody was looking for a fresh start there with Sully coming in and some new faces around there. I got to go to a situation where everybody was embracing a fresh start. So you look back at it and it actually worked."