Career
In 1969 Sheppard began a three-year pro apprenticeship with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League, becoming a Second Team All-Star in 1971. The following season he was named the league"s most valuable player and remains the all-time leading career scorer of the franchise. The following season Sheppard made his true mark in the playoffs, scoring eleven goals in sixteen playoff games as the Bruins went to the Cup finals.
He was a mainstay in Boston for six seasons in all, scoring thirty or more goals three straight years—and only a serious injury costing him much of the 1978 season cost him a fourth—as well as proving himself as one of the league"s premier faceoff men and penalty killers.
His best statistical season was 1975, in which he scored 78 points and finished with a plus/minus rating of +45. Before the 1978-1979 season began, Sheppard was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-way deal.
At first holding out due to dissatisfaction at the deal, he eventually joined the team in late November 1978, although his days as a scorer were behind him. He played four seasons in all for Pittsburgh before retiring in 1982.
Sheppard played in 657 National Hockey League games in all over ten seasons, finishing with 205 goals and 293 assists for 498 points.
A notably clean player for some rough teams, he finished with 243 penalty minutes.