Collin Graf (born September 21, 2002) is an American professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player for the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). He played
college ice hockey
College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America.
In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...
for
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
and
Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University () is a private university in Hamden, Connecticut. The university grants undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees through its College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering, School of C ...
.
Playing career
College
Graf began his
collegiate career for the
Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...
during the
2021–22 season, where he recorded 11 goals and 11 assists in 37 games.
Following his freshman year he transferred to
Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University () is a private university in Hamden, Connecticut. The university grants undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees through its College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering, School of C ...
. During the
2022–23 season, in his sophomore year, he recorded a team-high 20 goals and 38 assists in 40 games. His 58 points were the most by a Bobcats player since
Bryan Leitch set the program-record of 59 points during the
2008–09 season. On November 12, 2022, Graf recorded his first career
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
in a game against
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
. During November he recorded four goals and eight assists, including points in nine of the team's 10 games. During the
Friendship Four he recorded three assists and was named the Player of the Tournament. He was subsequently named the ECAC Forward of the Month and the HCA Co-National Player of the Month. During December he recorded three goals and nine assists, and was one of only two players in the league to record double-digit points. He was subsequently named the ECAC Forward of the Month for the second consecutive month. Following the season he was named a unanimous
All-ECAC First Team selection and named an
AHCA East First Team All-American. He was also named a top-ten finalist for the
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton University ...
.
During the
2023–24 season, in his junior year, he led his team in goals and points, with 14 goals and 19 assists in 20 conference games, for a 1.65 points per game average. Following the season, he was again named a unanimous All-ECAC First Team selection and
ECAC Hockey Player of the Year.
He finished his collegiate career with 54 goals and 76 assists in 112 games.
Professional
On April 4, 2024, Graf signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
. He made his debut two days later, in a 3–2 overtime win over the
St. Louis Blues. Graf got his first point in his second game, on April 7, assisting on a goal by
Luke Kunin
Luke Kunin (born December 4, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played in the NHL for the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators. The Wild selected him i ...
in a 5–2 loss to the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graf, Collin
2002 births
Living people
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Ice hockey players from Massachusetts
NCAA men's ice hockey national champions
People from Lincoln, Massachusetts
Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey players
San Jose Sharks players
Union Garnet Chargers men's ice hockey players
Undrafted National Hockey League players