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When
Neil K. Sheehy decided to become a
sports agent, it was a challenge he
pursued with the same energy and determination
that had pushed him to the highest levels
of professional hockey as an overachieving
player.
In
the often confusing, conflicting world of professional
sports, choosing an agent is a pivotal step for
a young athlete, particularly in hockey,
because many agents are not hockey people
with any "real" knowledge or experience in the
game. For
every story about a big contract or clever manipulation,
there are dozens of cases where a player's
future is inhibited by an agent's inattention,
lack of awareness of rules or stipulations,
lack of personal contact and support, or
failure to follow-up once the commission
is in the bank. Sheehy's personal dedication
is to be a sports agent who cares, and
who can make a difference.
Sheehy
has lived in the hockey world beginning in youth development and continuing through high school, prep school, college, international
and professional, and he made an impact at
every level. He started out gaining the asset
of dual citizenship at birth. He grew up in
International Falls, Minnesota, but was born
in the neighboring hospital across the Rainy
River in Fort Frances, Ontario.
As
a rugged defenceman, Sheehy
excelled in both his educational achievements and in his hockey skill development at International Falls High School and at Philips Academy in Andover, Mass. At Harvard, he
starred for a Crimson team that won
the ECAC championship and made it
all the way to the NCAA Final Game
in 1983 against Chris Chelios and
the Wisconsin Badgers, which, not
coincidentally, was the year he graduated
with a degree in economics.
Ability,
intelligence and uncompromising dedication
carried Sheehy onward in hockey,
first to the U.S. National Team in
1985 (he later was co-captain and
shared the team's most valuable player
honor in 1992), and also to the National
Hockey League. He stood out during
the Calgary Flames 1986 run to the
Stanley Cup Finals against Montreal,
and
and in 1989 when he played for the Washington Capitals who were
Patrick Division Champions during the regular season and
in the playoffs.
Sheehy
concluded his pro career as both
player and assistant coach in Lubliana,
Slovenia from 1992-94, where he also
helped acquire players, further broadening
his scope of possible opportunities
for players.
When
Sheehy decided to guide other players
into pro hockey careers, he had gained the
respect of NHL general managers
and NHL hockey personnel, plus the
expertise to advise players on what
it takes to reach the top. In addition,
he wanted a thorough educational
background for the often-complex
situations and intricacies that can
arise, so he returned to Minnesota
and attended William Mitchell College
of Law in St. Paul, where he completed
his degree in December of 1996.
A
young player might choose an agent
almost incidentally out of eagerness
to turn pro. And many sports agents
profit greatly because of that. Neil
Sheehy is proving that the players
can benefit, too, merely by selecting
the right agent.
Synopsis
of Neil Sheehy's Hockey Career
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