San Jose Sharks’ forward Collin Graf’s parents witnessed their son’s first NHL goal.
Graf scored a goal on five shots on February 4, 2025, Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Canadiens.
Highlights
- Collin Graf scored his first NHL goal on February 4, 2025, against the Montreal Canadiens.
- Graf was born to his father, Robert Graf, and his mother, Theresa Graf.
- His brother Justin Graf announced his commitment to play Division 1 hockey at Merrimack College.
He returned from a stint with AHL San Jose and slotted into a middle-six role.
Collin logged 17:37 of ice time and came away with his first career NHL goal in this contest after tying the game at 2-2 in the second period.
He is up to three points, nine shots on net, 11 hits, and a minus-4 rating across 11 appearances with the Sharks.
Graf should be able to stick around while the Sharks are dealing with multiple injuries to forwards, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see him reassigned to the farm team during the 4-National Face-Off break.
He has received praise from his fans on social media for his fantastic gameplay against the Canadiens. One user wrote,
Former Bobcat Collin Graf recorded his first NHL goal against the Montreal Canadians to tie the game at two.
Eli Ehlers
Another user wrote,
Canadiens win the 2nd period by scoring a pair of goals on just 6 shots. The rookie Collin Graf helps SJ tie the game at 2-2, but Montreal will carry 3:37 of power play time after the Grundstrom high sticking double minor.
LetsGoSharks
The third user wrote,
this day just got so much better oh my god COLLIN GRAF
goalielovr
Graf signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL on April 4, 2024. He made his debut two days later in a 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues.
He got his first point in his second game on April 7, assisting on a goal by Luke Kunin in a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.
Collin Graf’s Parents Appeared At SAP Center To Watch His Game Against The Montreal Canadiens
San Jose Sharks’ forward Collin Graf, 22, was born on September 21, 2002, in Lincoln, Massachusetts, United States, to his father, Robert, and his mother, Theresa Graf.
Robert was born to his father, Michael Graf, of Meredith, NH, and his mother, Myrna (Tacronte) Graf. He grew up with his sister, Marisa Graf.
Sadly, Michael passed away on October 21, 2013, at the age of 75, in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Collin’s parents have avoided social media, so only limited information about their personal life is available.
During the interview with the Mercury News, Graf said that his parents had sacrificed a lot to help him fulfill his dream of playing in the NHL. He added,
“He drives me to practice for all those years when I couldn’t drive, and he drives me back,” “And then, as a young kid, games are not at good times. On the weekend, it’s 8 a.m., and he’s worked a hard, long week. He wakes up at 6 a.m. and makes sure I have breakfast. He’s making sure that everything’s ready for little 10-12-year-old me and making sure that I can go out there and keep getting better at hockey. “Those are just a couple of things I can think about, and then obviously, he helped me find skills coaches and stuff like that as a kid. It’s great that I was able to get a goal and give him the puck.”
Collin Graf
Collin’s parents, Robert and Theresa, recently attended the San Jose Sharks and the Montreal Canadiens at SAP Center.
Graf carried two messages with him as he returned to the San Jose Sharks lineup.
One was from the Sharks’ coaching staff, and the other was from his father, who contacted his son sometime before the Sharks matchup against the Canadiens. Graf said,
“I was fortunate enough for my parents to be here,” said Graf, whose family is from Massachusetts. “My dad actually called me when he landed, and he was like, ‘If I flew all the way out here, you better score.’”
Collin Graf
Graf took it to heart, scoring his first NHL goal in the second period by streaking up the wing and firing a shot past Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault. He said with a laugh,
“I made sure his trip out here was worth the money,”
Collin Graf
However, his parents, Robert and Terri, couldn’t witness the San Jose Sharks’ win, as they lost the match 4-3.
In addition, Collin has one younger brother, Justin Graf, 17, born on July 10, 2007, in Boston, MA, United States.
He announced his commitment to play Division 1 hockey at Merrimack College in 2024.
Additional Information
- Collin Graf started his collegiate career at Union College during the 2021-22 season when he played 37 games and scored 11 goals and 11 assists.
- In his junior year of the 2023-24 season, he led his team in goals and points, with 14 goals and 19 assists in 20 conference games, for an average of 1.65 points per game.
- He signed a 3-year, $3,850,000 contract with the San Jose Sharks, including a $285,000 signing bonus, $3,850,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,283,333.
