Logan Couture

Last updated

Logan Couture
Logan Couture 2016.jpg
Couture with the San Jose Sharks in 2016
Born (1989-03-28) March 28, 1989 (age 34)
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 206 lb (93 kg; 14 st 10 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
San Jose Sharks
Genève-Servette HC
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL Draft 9th overall, 2007
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 2009present

Logan Couture (born March 28, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Sharks ninth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, where he established himself as one of the best Stanley Cup playoff performers of his generation. [1]

Contents

Playing career

Minor

Although he was born in Guelph, Ontario, Couture spent most of his youth growing up in Birr, near London, Ontario. He started playing minor hockey with the Lucan Irish (DD) of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA)'s Southwestern Ontario League.

Couture led his Lucan Irish Novice team to the OMHA's Red Lobster Cup for a SW Ontario title in 1998 and an OMHA All-Ontario DD title in 1998. His Irish Atom team also won the OMHA Ontario DD title in 2001. Both of those teams also won the International Silver Stick 'C' championships. He then moved to London and played three years with the 'AAA' London Junior Knights of the Minor Hockey Alliance League, where he was a teammate of current Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty. After his Bantam year with the Jr. Knights, Couture signed with the Junior B St. Thomas Stars.

Junior

In May 2005, Couture was drafted by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Ottawa 67's 12th overall in the 2005 OHL Priority Draft. He went on to score at a near point-per-game pace as a rookie with 64 points in 65 games in 2005–06, third in league rookie scoring behind John Tavares and Sergei Kostitsyn. [2] The next season, in 2006–07, Couture was added to the OHL roster for the 2006 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, replacing Jordan Staal, who was retained by the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. [3] Couture was also selected to play for the Eastern Conference in the 2007 OHL All-Star Game, winning the shooting accuracy competition. [4] After completing his second OHL season, where he improved to 78 points in 54 games, Couture was drafted ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Returning to the 67's in 2007–08, Couture's production dipped to 58 points in 51 games, his lowest major junior total. He had also been named to the 2008 OHL All-Star Game, but was replaced by Michael Swift of the Niagara IceDogs due to injury. [5] Next season, in 2008–09, he finished in ninth place in league scoring with 39 goals and 48 assists for 87 points in 62 games. He also appeared in the 2009 OHL All-Star Game. Near the end of the season, he was named OHL Player of the Week on March 16, 2009, following an eight-point performance in three games. [6]

Professional

Couture with the Sharks during a preseason game, September 2009. He made his NHL debut with the team several weeks later. LoganCouture.jpg
Couture with the Sharks during a preseason game, September 2009. He made his NHL debut with the team several weeks later.

On October 25, 2009, Couture made his NHL debut for the San Jose Sharks against the Philadelphia Flyers. [7] He scored his first NHL goal on November 5, 2009, against Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings. On April 22, 2010, Couture scored his first two playoff goals against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 of the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. He scored the game-tying goal in Game 3 in the second round against the Red Wings. [8]

Couture was also an integral part of the success of the 2009–10 American Hockey League (AHL)'s Worcester Sharks, as he played 42 games and scored 20 goals and 33 assists for 53 points. He was a league-leader with nine game-winning goals and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team. He was also voted onto the AHL All-Star starting line-up for AHL Team Canada, and finished the game with a goal and two assists as well as scoring a shoot-out goal.

Couture played his first full season with the Sharks in 2010–11 and finished with 32 goals (second among rookies) and 56 points (also second). He earned a nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy for these achievements, along with the New York Islanders' Michael Grabner and the Carolina Hurricanes' Jeff Skinner, the latter of which who won the award. [9]

On August 26, 2011, Couture signed a two-year, $5.75 million extension through to the 2013–14 season. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Couture played for Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National League A. [10] [11] In the 2012–13 NHL season, when play resumed after the lockout, Couture played in all 48 regular season and 11 playoff games with the Sharks, leading the team in goals (21), blocks among forwards (51), game-winning goals (5), shots (151) and power play goals (7). [12]

On July 5, 2013, the Sharks announced that the club had signed Couture to a five-year, $30 million contract extension, which would come into effect on July 1, 2014. [13] On December 29, 2013, against the Anaheim Ducks, Couture scored his 100th career regular season goal. [14] On January 6, 2014, the Sharks reported that Couture would have surgery to repair a wrist injury on January 8; he missed six weeks as a result. [15]

After the 2014 seven-game playoff series loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles Kings, Couture underwent surgery on his hand to repair an injury suffered in a fight with the Kings' Mike Richards in Game 6. [16]

During the 2015–16 season, Couture suffered a broken fibula in a practice, and in the second game after he returned to play from that injury he suffered an arterial bleed which required remedial surgery. [17] These injuries caused him to miss 30 games. However, he bolstered the San Jose Sharks line-up upon his return and helped lead the team all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Couture led all players in playoff assists (20) and scoring (30). [18]

In August 2016, Couture was named to the Team Canada team for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, replacing the Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn. [19]

On July 1, 2018, he signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the Sharks. [20]

During the 2018–19 season, Couture amassed a personal-best 70-point season. The Sharks advanced as far as the 3rd round in the 2018–19 playoffs, losing to the eventual Stanley-Cup champion St. Louis Blues in 6 games. Despite not playing in the championship final round, Couture still led all playoff players in goals with 14 and finished third overall in playoff scoring with 20 points. [21]

Prior to the 2019–20 season, Couture was named the Sharks captain. It was his first captaincy since his junior career with the Ottawa 67's in 2008–09. [22] He fractured his left ankle on January 9, 2020. [23]

On October 27, 2022, he scored his 300th NHL goal, in a 4–3 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. [24]

Personal life

Couture was born in Guelph, Ontario to firefighter and former police officer Chet and his mother Lori. At birth, one of the delivery-room nurses was Bernadette Devorski, mother of NHL referee Paul and NHL linesman Greg Devorski. [25]

Couture has a younger brother by two years, Judson. He grew up in a small town called Birr, just north of London, Ontario. He attended Prince Andrew Public School and Northridge Public School for grades seven and eight, In 2003 Logan graduated from Northridge. Couture then attended A.B. Lucas Secondary School and Hillcrest High School (Ottawa).

His father played OHA senior hockey for 13 years and was a veteran Ontario Lacrosse League (OLA) and National Lacrosse League (NLL) referee, while his mother, Lori, a graduate of Brock University, was a physical education teacher at Lucas Secondary School. [26] Logan's grandfather on his mother's side, the late Cy Lemon, is a Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee. [25] His uncle Brian Lemon is a former nine-year veteran Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) pro lacrosse and OLA lacrosse player, and is the current NLL vice-president of operations. On his father's side, his late grandfather, Bob Couture, was a skilled softball pitcher and guitar player.

Growing up, Couture was an exceptional athlete excelling specifically in hockey, lacrosse and baseball, where he was a two-time Honda Canada/Toronto Blue Jays "hit-run-throw" contest Canadian national champion in his age group. Couture decided at age 13 to drop the pursuit of baseball for the game of hockey. He is also a fan of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills.

In 2020, Couture claimed he was sucker punched in Toronto for saying in public that he would vote for U.S. President Donald Trump if he could. [27]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2004–05London Jr. Knights AAA AH U15 56515610742
2004–05 St. Thomas Stars WOHL 4824224661146102
2005–06 Ottawa 67's OHL 652539645263470
2006–07 Ottawa 67'sOHL542652782451784
2007–08 Ottawa 67'sOHL512137583742130
2008–09 Ottawa 67'sOHL6239488746737106
2008–09 Worcester Sharks AHL 400071221311
2009–10 Worcester SharksAHL4220335312
2009–10 San Jose Sharks NHL 255496154044
2010–11 San Jose SharksNHL79322456411877142
2011–12 San Jose SharksNHL803134651651340
2012–13 Genève-Servette HC NLA 227162310
2012–13 San Jose SharksNHL4821163741156110
2013–14 San Jose SharksNHL652331542071237
2014–15 San Jose SharksNHL8227406712
2015–16 San Jose SharksNHL5215213620241020308
2016–17 San Jose SharksNHL732527521262130
2017–18 San Jose SharksNHL78342761181048124
2018–19 San Jose SharksNHL812743702220146206
2019–20 San Jose SharksNHL5216233918
2020–21 San Jose SharksNHL5317143125
2021–22 San Jose SharksNHL7723335618
2022–23 San Jose SharksNHL8227406719
NHL totals927323377700251116485310131
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Canada Cup / World Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Toronto

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2006 Canada Ontario U17 5th555102
2007 Canada U18 4th62242
2016 Canada WCH Gold medal icon.svg61340
Junior totals1177144
Senior totals61340

Records and accomplishments

Awards

*unable to play due to injury [5]

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References

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  2. "Top Scorers: 2005–06 Regular Season, Rookies". Ontario Hockey League . Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  3. "Couture Added to ADT Canada Russia Challenge Roster". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
  4. "Logan Couture Profile". Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
  5. 1 2 "More roster changes for OHL all-star game". SooToday.com. January 30, 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
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  21. 2018–19 stats
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  27. Elliot, Josh (August 26, 2020). "NHLer Logan Couture says he was 'punched' for mentioning Trump in Toronto". GlobalNews.ca. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
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  30. "Mentioned during Comcast Sports Net California 3/17/12 Sharks vs. Red Wings broadcast".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
Awards and achievements
Preceded by San Jose Sharks first round draft pick
2007
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by San Jose Sharks captain
2019–present
Incumbent