Graf Did Something Sharks Rookie Hasn’t Done in 17 Years

Collin Graf did something that a San Jose Sharks rookie hasn’t done in 17 years.

Graf scored a short-handed goal in Thursday night’s 6-5 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the first Sharks rookie to score a shortie since Tomas Plihal on Oct. 11, 2008.

COLLIN GRAF SHORTIE!!!
2-1 #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/p64P1Wit4z

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) March 28, 2025

The Graf strike on Joseph Woll gave the San Jose Sharks a 2-1 first period lead. Since his second recall of the season in late January, the 22-year-old rookie actually leads Sharks forwards in Short-Handed Time on Ice.

Graf gave credit to Mario Ferraro and Barclay Goodrow for their pivotal parts in his goal.

“Had a good stick to break that puck up, and then Mar made a nice play and sort of just put it up there, I just tried to skate into it,” Graf said.

Ferraro (38) also had the presence of mind to soft pick John Tavares (91). Tavares then handed Graf off to Auston Matthews (34) defensively.

“Then obviously, their power play unit’s got five forwards. So as a forward, it’s sometimes harder to defend a rush. So I thought why not just try to take a chance here?” Graf said. “And Goody took two guys with him to the net, gave me some room in the middle, and I just shot it far side and it went in.”

Graf is talking about the Goodrow (23) net drive, which took Mitch Marner (16) and William Nylander (88) off the chessboard.

“It basically created the play, just in the sense that he pushed two guys, and you always want middle ice, and he sort of gave me that lane to cut to the middle,” the surprising rookie said. “So it was important.

“I thought Graf was really good in the penalty kill again,” San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said after the game. “He’s really coming into his own as an NHL player.”

Happy 42nd Birthday to #SJSharks alumnus forward, and 2001 fifth round draftee (no. 140 overall), Tomáš Plíhal.

📸 Getty Images pic.twitter.com/ykpORR8BhY

— San Jose Sharks History (@sjsharkshistory) March 29, 2025