Collin Graf explains his bold decision to sign with San Jose Sharks

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Mackenzie Stern-Kolesnikow
April 5, 2024 (10:15 PM)

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Collin Graf, the NCAA star and highly sought after prospect, has revealed why he declined offers from many top NHL teams to sign with the struggling San Jose Sharks, who are currently sitting dead last in the Pacific Division.

Collin Graf has had quite an impressive career, including winning the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year award. Received and declined offers from top teams such as the Colorado Avalanche and the Pittsburgh Penguins, he declined these offers to join the San Jose Sharks. He explained in an interview why he decided to join the weaker team, praising their honesty as one of the reasons:

"I think they were really honest with me, There are a lot of Northeast guys, as a Massachusetts guy, it's familiar. I thought that obviously added to the decision for sure. I think it was just the honesty of what they saw in me and what they thought I could do."

Graf also explained that his friend Henry Thrun plays for the Sharks, the two have played together in the past:

"I know Henry Thrun. [I] played against him at Harvard, [I've] skated with him growing up; we had a similar skating coach, and in the summer, played three on three with him. Besides that, I don't think I know anyone [else here]."

He also explained that he joined the team during a practice, and practised on a line with Luke Kunin and William Eklund, Graf went on to say that he is eager to see some game action:

"It's really exciting. I know they are both really good players, I just had one practice with them, but I can tell they're really good already."

Graf's height used to be a weakness, but he has recently hit a growth spurt, going from 5'6 to a tall 6'1. The Athletic reported that Graf was too short to attract any serious interest:

"always had the skill and hockey sense, but people didn't draft him because he was undersized and had already made that book on him that, �He's too small, he's too small,'»

Graf's stats are quite impressive, he has scored 54 goals with 76 assists during his 112 games played throughout his college career. Hopefully he made the right choice going with the Sharks, and will help the team recover from their unsuccessful season.

Source - Hockeyfeed: Collin Graf reveals why he spurned several teams to sign with lowly Sharks