San Jose Sharks forward Collin Graf took his healthy scratch against the Carolina Hurricanes seriously.<\/p>\n
Like Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said, to build winning habits<\/a>, you\u2019re going to piss some people off. For Graf, he certainly knows that becoming a regular in an NHL lineup isn\u2019t a given.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, obviously, I don\u2019t want to be scratched. I don\u2019t think anyone ever wants to be scratched. It should piss you off a little bit,\u201d Graf said. \u201cThat\u2019s sort of just the competitor in me. The competitor and everyone, right? You want to play. That\u2019s your job. It\u2019s your livelihood.\u201d<\/p>\n Graf appears to be returning to the San Jose Sharks lineup for its first road game of the season agaisnt the Utah Mammoth. Ryan Reaves<\/a> skated as an extra forwad during the last two Sharks practices.<\/p>\n Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.<\/p>\n #SJSharks<\/a> lines at practice: Klingberg & Liljegren are not on the ice Leddy-Orlov \u201cGoing on the road is always fun, just because you\u2019re with the guys [and] that\u2019s all you have,\u201d Graf said. \u201cWe got a nice team dinner out in Utah, and then hopefully we\u2019ll have a lot of energy and respond to that last game with a good start in Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n Warsofsky\u2019s message<\/p>\n So what is Warsofsky\u2019s message to Graf on why he found himself sitting for a game?<\/p>\n \u201cThe word they used was, was conviction. For me, that sort of just means, be more be more decisive,\u201d Graf explained. \u201cTake a puck to the net. Go through contact. Get involved in the game. Hit someone [and] just have more energy out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Warsofsky echoed the same words when asked about what he told Graf.<\/p>\n Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like Graf has been playing horrible by any means. It\u2019s more I\u2019d like to see a little bit more conviction out of his game,\u201d Warsofsky said last Tuesday. \u201cPlaying along the inside, finishing checks. I don\u2019t expect him ever to be a guy who puts guys into the boards and breaks the glass. But we need a little bit more conviction out of him. He\u2019s been good in the penalty kill.\u201d<\/p>\n Graf will use his first game back to prove that he\u2019s heard what the coaches want and apply it to his game.<\/p>\n Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on\u00a0Sharks Hockey Digest<\/a>! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest<\/a>!\n<\/p>\n Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.\t\t\t
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Dickinson-Desharnias\u2014 Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) October 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n