Collin Graf is a simple player when it comes to the gear he uses for the San Jose Sharks, but he has some particular customizations.
So far in SHD’s Sharks Equipment Breakdown series, we’ve seen Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini have fairly straightforward gear setups. For Graf, he wasn’t always a total Bauer Hockey athlete until this season.
While playing in the AHL, Graf used CCM gear because the company sponsors the league. But after earning a full-time spot in the NHL this season, he went back to Bauer.
Stick: Bauer Nexus Tracer
Our first of the Nexus line from Bauer. Graf has utilized his tracer to a career season for the San Jose Sharks. The rangy winger uses what appears to be a longer, whippier stick, but something tells me he is in the 78-85 range for flex. Again, the flex that Graf uses isn’t publicly available online, so I am just guessing.
Graf has 15 goals and 16 assists this season, obliterating the output he had in 33 games from 2024-25. The Nexus line is a mid-kick flex stick. A mid-kick is precisely what it sounds like: the stick will flex in the middle. Here is what Twig Hockey Company has to say about a mid-kick stick.
“By default, a completely uniformly constructed stick will bend in the middle when pressure is applied. This is known as a mid-kick stick and is the most common style in use by players from the NHL downward, across the board. They are designed to assist shooters who heavily lean into their shots by maximizing energy transfer to get the most power in a shot while maintaining great accuracy.”
Graf’s shot for the Sharks is a heavy one. His release is quick, but you can see the power he gets whenever he fires a shot.
Skates: Bauer Vapor FlyLite (With A Twist!)
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I mentioned a “secret customization,” and here’s the first look. Graf uses a Bauer FlyLite model, just as Smith does, but he doesn’t use the regular TUUK skate blade holder.
Graf has swapped his holder to the standard CCM blade holder, the SpeedBlade. In passing, Graf told me he’s always had it this way. In the first edition of the equipment series, I mentioned how a holder can pitch (lean) a skater on the ice. There are only subtle differences in how each holder affects a player’s pitch; using it will help the Sharks winger get a feel for which he likes.
Nov 28, 2025; San Jose, CA, USA; during San Jose Sharks vs Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center. Photo: Sport Shots / Dean TaitCredit: Dean Tait – Sport Shots
Here are Graf’s skates, right next to Quinn Hughes‘, a fellow Bauer Vapor FlyLite user. Clearly, Hughes is using a Bauer skate holder (the white part below the boot), and Graf isn’t. To the naked eye, it is nothing, but to the San Jose Sharks forward, using the CCM holder means everything.
Gloves: Bauer Supreme MACH
In our first instance of Bauer’s supreme line, Graf’s gloves have a similar feel to Smith’s. The biggest difference between the Vapor series and the Supreme series is how the glove’s cuff fits over the wrist.
Here’s what PureHockey.com says about the gloves.
“The newly redesigned AMP cuff has curve composite integrated throughout to protect the wrist in all positions. For mobility, you’ll see a flex gusset that connects the cuff to the rest of the glove, which allows the cuff and glove to move independently for optimal flexibility. The shell of the glove is made from PRO-Lite Tex; a heavy-duty polyester mesh for improved abrasion resistance.
Bauer uses a three-piece middle and ring finger construction with triple density foam and Shot Boost technology to provide an excellent combination of impact resistance, overall mobility and better stick feel. Shot Boost was designed to optimize the stick control when shooting. For the thumb, Bauer uses a three-piece flex thumb that increases your range of motion for enhanced puck control, and better hand positioning when shooting.
Bauer has also included their Dura-Connekt palm (Senior Only) that’s 15% more durable than the Ultrasonic Max-Connekt technology. This palm delivers great stick feel, acting like an extension of your hand for superior control. The Junior version of the MACH gloves come with the Flex-Connekt palm providing better flexibility for players with smaller hands.
On the inside of the gloves, Bauer includes their Thermo Core Zero liner. This technology keeps your hands dry and gloves light throughout the game, while also helping to stop the growth of odor-causing bacteria, keeping your gloves clean and ready-to-use every time you hit the ice.”
Graf has an elite work ethic, and his hands are smooth, rangy, and powerful. His forechecking ability and defensive prowess all come from the movement that his gloves give him.
Helmet: Bauer Re-Akt 150
The first repeat in my Sharks Equipment Breakdown. Here’s what I wrote the first time we had this bucket.
The Bauer Re-Akt series helmets are arguably the most common helmets at any level of hockey. There are multiple versions that give different levels of protection, comfort, and padding. The 150 is an older model, first spotted in 2018 according to GearGeek.com.
A player doesn’t change their helmet too often, but that changed with the Re-Akt 150. According to GearGeek, the Re-Akt 150 became the most-used helmet among Bauer players worldwide.
“Welcome to a fit that is truly personal with the Bauer Re-Akt 150. Bauer’s “Free Form” adjustment system allows independent length and width shifting for a personalized fit. The “Comfort Pod” liner system conforms to the shape of your head, and foam on the inside of the helmet adapts well to both high- and low-energy impacts. This combination of style and high performance can be hard to come by in other helmets. The numbers speak for themselves in the NHL, with many players choosing the look and protection of the Bauer Re-Akt 150.”
The adjustability, breathability, and impact protection make the Re-Akt 150 a go-to choice. It is comfortable and durable, which, as we all know, is critical. Concussions are no joke (I will stress this in every story). Getting the best possible protection from your bucket is always a must. The Bauer Re-Akt 150 won’t be a bad choice, and is arguably Bauer’s best piece of any equipment.
Collin Graf is specific about the gear he uses, and it is all Bauer. The San Jose Sharks forward might not get the national attention for style that someone like Will Smith or Macklin Celebrini will get, but he deserves some love. Here’s the price point for each piece of gear in the senior size on PureHockey.com.
Stick: $349.99
Skates: $1179.99 – $1229.99 (depending on steel choice and customizations)
Skate holder: $59.99 (Via CCM Hockey.com)
Gloves: $299.99
Helmet: $164.99
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