Collin Graf took a shot to the face during San Jose Sharks practice on Monday, and the cut required stitches.
Due to the timing of the injury, Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky was unsure if there was any further damage to the winger’s face than just a cut. Despite playing very well on the top line with Macklin Celebrini, Warsofsky thought about the human element of an injury above all.
“Anytime someone goes down, the human side of it, really [matters most]. Not so much of how he has been playing,” Warsofsky said. “To see the blood, not a great look. So hopefully he’s okay.”
Luckily for the San Jose Sharks, Graf is okay! The winger participated in the morning skate and used a full bubble to protect his face.
“It was just a shot, and it got tipped. I didn’t have time to react to it, so it’s just bad luck that it hit me in the face. It happens. It is part of the game, but I’m fine, so it’s good,” Graf told INDTV USA. “It didn’t really hurt that bad. There was just a lot of blood coming out. I was just trying to go to the room and get a towel on it. Went through all the precautionary stuff with the hospital and dentist.”
The San Jose Sharks forward says he joined the team late, arriving in Las Vegas around 10:30 p.m.
“My mom was worried,” Graf joked. “I sent her a picture before the stitches and after the stitches, said I was fine, so she’s good.”
Graf is on a four-game points streak, scoring three goals and three assists in that span. He’s on the San Jose Sharks’ top penalty kill unit and has become one of the team’s most important players.
The winger confirmed that he would be in Tuesday’s lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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