SAN JOSE — Collin Graf may have been born to play hockey. He certainly didn’t know it at the time. 

But these days, Graf is making headlines on the ice. Most recently, the second-year Sharks forward scored two goals Thursday night in a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, notching the first multi-goal game of his career. 

Playing on San Jose’s top line with Macklin Celebrini and rookie Igor Chernyshov, Graf finished off a pass from Celebrini in the crease and potted another net-front pass from Chernyshov. 

This season has been Graf’s NHL breakout. He stuck on the Sharks’ roster out of training camp and has played in 34 of 35 games, accumulating 18 points. 

San Jose Sharks’ Collin Graf (51) celebrates his goal against the Dallas Stars in the second period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

“He’s put in a lot of work,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “When he first came in, in the NHL, the pace is extremely high. So he went in after the summer, put a lot of work in last year to get the pace up. And now his details, his hockey sense is really what sticks out the most. He’s a smart individual. And now he’s added another layer to his game with the checking component.”

Graf, 23, grew up as the son of engineers Robert and Theresa in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and his initial foray onto the ice came for a different reason. 

“My mom just wanted me to learn how to skate,” Graf said. “And then when I was skating, there were hockey players on the other side of the ice, and I guess I told my mom that I wanted to do that. 

“So then it took me like two years to get good enough at skating to become a hockey player. And ever since, I’ve been a hockey player.”

San Jose Sharks’ Igor Chernyshov (92) chats with San Jose Sharks’ Collin Graf (51) during their game against the Calgary Flames in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

A hockey player, but not one who was ticketed to be a professional from the beginning. Graf was undersized and undrafted coming out of juniors at 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds. He didn’t play for a Canadian major junior team or in the American junior leagues, instead staying within the Boston Bruins’ junior development program. 

He signed with Union College in 2021, scoring 11 goals and 22 points in his freshman season. Then he transferred to Quinnipiac, where he led the Bobcats with 58 points as they won the national championship. 

He thought then about turning pro then but opted to return for one more year.

“I met with teams, and I definitely considered it,” Graf said. “My linemates, we all ended up signing the next year. We talked about it, and we wanted to come back. We had a good group of guys. They’re my buddies. My best friends are still from college to this day. It was a great decision on my part, just in terms of getting bigger, stronger, becoming more mature as a human.”

San Jose Sharks forward Collin Graf (51) shoots the puck while being defended by Utah Mammoth’s Mikhail Sergachev (98) during the first period of their game on Monday, Dec.1, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) 

Graf continued to develop his all-around game and signed with San Jose after Quinnipiac’s season ended in April 2024. He played immediately, recording a point in his second career game and finishing with two in seven games played as the Sharks wrapped up the last-place season that landed them Celebrini with the No. 1 overall pick. 

The next season wasn’t always glamorous for Graf. Though he joined Celebrini for 33 games with the Sharks and compiled 11 points, he spent most of the year in the AHL with the Barracuda, putting up 35 points in 40 games. 

It’s uncertain how long he’ll stay on the Sharks’ top line this year. Will Smith is due back before long from an upper-body injury, and Warsofsky said he may shuffle San Jose’s lines before Saturday’s game against Seattle. 

But after adjusting to the pace of the game, Graf has made enough headway that he is quickly becoming a part of the Sharks’ long-term plans.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby (35) makes a save as San Jose Sharks’ Collin Graf (51) looks for the rebound during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) 

“He’s transformed his game from what he was in college,” Warsofsky said. “He’s getting to the point where he’s accepting that more and more. There’s another level we continue to push and get to, but he’s done a really good job. He’s here late in the facility. You can tell he really wants it, and that’s an important piece of the whole thing.”

For Celebrini, who jumped into the NHL minted as a franchise star from the get-go, Graf’s intelligence is a separator that has emerged as he’s grinded his way to the highest level. 

“He’s one of the smarter players on the ice, and he’s always in the right spot with a great stick,” Celebrini said. “That’s why he’s been so great on our PK as well, his ability to disrupt plays and read plays before they happen. It helps when you’re playing with him and trying to create offense. He’s seeing the same things as I am.”

San Jose Sharks’ Collin Graf (51) celebrates his goal with San Jose Sharks’ William Eklund (72) and San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini (71) against the Boston Bruins in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

It’s been a dream journey for Graf to reach this point. He’s already blown his own expectations out of the water.

“When I first went into college, I wasn’t thinking about the NHL or pro hockey,” Graf said.

Now he has the best in the game singing his praises. 

“We’ve built a good relationship,” Celebrini said. “The play speaks for itself. He’s just so smart and it’s easy to play off him because he’s always thinking two steps ahead.”

San Jose Sharks right wing Collin Graf (51) shoots and scores the game-winning goal past Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)