NHL referee Jordan Samuels-Thomas was the man to signal goal on San Jose Sharks rookie Collin Graf’s first career tuck, and the two share a connection to Quinnipiac University.
Graf skated in his 18th career NHL game last night and his 11th this season. He finally broke through with his first career goal with a terrific shot over the glove of Montreal Canadiens and 4 Nations Team Canada goalie Sam Montembeault.
Graf told reporters after the game that his parents were in town as part of plans for the upcoming break and that his dad flew in on Tuesday.
“It’s a dream come true. I was fortunate enough for my parents to be here. My dad called me when he landed, and he was like, if I flew all the way out here, you better score. I made sure that his trip out here was worth the money,” Graf joked.
But what made the goal even more special was Graf and Samuels-Thomas’ connection to Quinnipiac.
Samuels-Thomas, the first African American referee in NHL history, also attended Quinnipiac. He scored the opening goal in the 2013 Frozen Four semi-final and assisted on the game-winning goal, which sent Quinnipiac to its first-ever National Championship game.
The best part about this moment….the referee who signaled the goal is Jordan Samuels-Thomas.
Samuels-Thomas is a @QU_MIH alum who scored the opening goal, and assisted the game winner in the 2013 Frozen Four semifinals over St. Cloud State to send the Bobcats to its first ever… https://t.co/6scXIH6oIX pic.twitter.com/6zS8LTU7by
— Andrew Reynolds (@thereynoldswrap) February 5, 2025
Graf was part of Quinnipiac’s first-ever National Championship win as he was the man who got the “third assist” on the overtime winner against Minnesota in 2023.
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The Montreal Canadiens won 4-3 over the San Jose Sharks last night. In a game that didn’t make many national headlines, a story like this can show how closely the sport of hockey and the people who play in it are connected in so many ways.
Collin Graf on his first NHL Goal and this moment with Jordan Samuels-Thomas:
“Super cool that he made the call. I talked to him a bit before the second period just catching up, but it was a cool moment for Quinnipiac hockey.” https://t.co/aNw0cAEzhW
— James Murray (@JamesMurrayECH) February 5, 2025
“[My parents are] everything. You look back on it, all those practices where it’s after work and [my dad had] to work a whole day. My mom helped, too, but my mom would spend a little bit more time with my brother. My dad was mostly with me. [It’s] just the way it worked out in timing and stuff,” Graf said. “He drives me to practice for all those years when I couldn’t drive, and he drives me back. As a young kid, games are not at good times on the weekend. It’s 8 a.m., and he’s worked a hard, long week, and he’s waking up at 6 a.m. and making sure I have breakfast. He’s making sure that everything is ready for little 1012-year-old me and making sure that I can go out there and keep getting better at hockey.”
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