The San Jose Sharks have announced the signing of Quinnipiac forward Collin Graf to an entry level contract on Thursday.
Graf has spent the last two seasons with the Bobcats in the ECAC, appearing in 34 contests and scoring 49 points (22G, 27A). According to reports, over a dozen NHL teams inquired about the 21 year old’s services in the latest college free agent period.
“Graf has excelled at the collegiate level, finishing as a Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist for the last two seasons,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said in a statement. “His on-ice awareness allows him to process the game at a high level, and is a unique player with a quality 200-foot game who excells in the offensive zone. We are excited to have him join the organization.”
Originally starring for Union College in the collegiate ranks, Graf transferred to Quinnipiac following his freshman season. Quinnipiac was eliminated by Boston College 5-4 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, making Graf eligible to sign with a club of his choosing.
Currently sporting the worst record in the NHL at 17-49-8, San Jose provided an enticing option for the Lincoln, Massachusetts native to carve out a role for himself sooner than other clubs could offer.
Photo: Doug Kerr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.