Logan Couture

At 35 years old, Logan Couture has this physical status:

Logan Couture (born March 28, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently serving as captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He was drafted by the Sharks ninth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Personal life

Couture was born in Guelph, Ontario to noted Fire Fighting police officer Chet and his mother Lori. At birth, there was a NHL-future omen: The delivery-room nurse Bernadette Devorski is the mother of NHL referee Paul and NHL linesman Greg Devorski.

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).

Coming from an athletic family, his father, Chet Couture, is a retired London Fire Department Captain who played OHA senior hockey for 13 years and was a veteran Ontario Lacrosse League (OLA) and National Lacrosse League (NLL) referee, with a Metis background while his mother, Lori, a graduate of Brock University, was a physical education teacher at Lucas Secondary School. Logan's grandfather on his mother's side, the late Cy Lemon, is a Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee. 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.

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Playing career

Although Couture was born in Guelph, Ontario, the majority of his youth was spent in Birr, Ontario, near London, Ontario. He first 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 in 1998 and an OMHA All-Ontario DD title in 1998. In 2001, his Irish Atom team captured the OMHA Ontario DD title. Both of those teams also qualified for the International Silver Stick 'C' championships. He then migrated to London and spent three years with the London Junior Knights of the Minor Hockey Alliance, where he was a teammate of former Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty. Couture signed with the Jr. B St. Thomas Stars following his Bantam years with the Jr. Knights.

Couture was drafted by the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's 12th overall in the 2005 OHL Priority Draft in May 2005. As a rookie with 64 points in 65 games in 2005–06, he was third in league rookie scoring behind John Tavares and Sergei Kostitsyn. Couture was recalled to the OHL roster for the 2006 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, replacing Jordan Staal, who was recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins, for the upcoming season. Couture was also selected to play in the 2007 OHL All-Star Game, winning the shooting accuracy competition. Couture was drafted ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2005, after his second OHL season, where he increased to 78 points in 54 games.

Couture's output fell to 58 points in 51 games, his lowest major junior record. He had been selected to the 2008 OHL All-Star Game but was later released by the Niagara IceDogs' Michael Swift due to injury. With 39 goals and 48 assists for 87 points in 62 games, he finished in ninth place in league scoring for the ninth time in 2008. He also appeared in the 2009 OHL All-Star Game. On March 16, 2009, he was named OHL Player of the Week for the fourth week after an eight-point appearance in three games.

Couture made his NFL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 25, 2009. On November 5, 2009, he scored his first NHL goal against the Detroit Red Wings' Chris Osgood. In Game 5 of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, Couture scored his first two playoff goals against the Colorado Avalanche on April 22, 2010. In Game 3 against the Red Wings, he scored the game-tying goal.

Couture was also a key contributor to the 2009-10 American Hockey League (AHL)'s Worcester Sharks' triumph, scoring 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 into the AHL All-Star starting lineup for AHL Team Canada, and he finished the game with a goal and two assists as well as scoring a shootout goal.

Couture spent his first full season with the Sharks in 2010–11, scoring 32 goals (second among rookies) and 56 points (also second). He was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy for these services, as well as New York Islanders Michael Grabner and Jeff Skinner, the latter of whom received the award.

Couture signed a two-year, $5.75 million contract extension from August 26, 2011 to the 2013–14 season. Couture played for Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National League A during the 2012-2013 NHL lockout. Couture appeared in all 48 regular season and 11 playoff games with the Sharks in 2012–2013, leading the team in goals (21), blocks among forwards (51), game-winning goals (51), and power play goals (7).

The Sharks announced on July 5, 2013 that Couture had agreed to a five-year contract extension, which will go into operation on July 1, 2014. Couture scored his 100th career regular season goal against the Anaheim Ducks on December 29, 2013. Couture will need surgery to fix a wrist injury on January 8, the Sharks announced on January 6, 2014; as a result, he missed six weeks.

Couture underwent surgery on his hand to fix an injury suffered in a match with the Kings' Mike Richards in Game 6 after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles Kings.

Couture suffered a cracked fibula in a practice, and in the second game, the player returned to play after recovering from the injury, he suffered an arterial bleed that necessitated remedial surgery. He missed 30 games due to his injuries. However, he bolstered the San Jose Sharks' line-up following his return and helped the team advance to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. All players in playoff assists (20) and scoring (30) were led by Couture.

Couture was named to Team Canada's Team for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in August 2016, bringing Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars to the team.

He signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the Sharks on July 1, 2018.

Couture set a personal record of 70 points in the 2018-19 season. The Sharks advanced to the 3rd round of the 2018–19 playoffs, losing in six games to the eventual Stanley-Cup champion St. Louis Blues. Despite not playing in the championship final round, Couture was still leading all playoff players in goals with 14 goals, and finished third overall in playoff scoring with 20 points.

Couture was the Sharks captain before the 2019-20 season. It was his first captaincy after his junior service with the Ottawa 67's in 2008–09. On January 9, 2020, he fractured his left ankle.

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

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Awards

• Named to the OHL All-Star Game in 2007, 2008* and 2009.
• Named OHL Player of the Week on March 16, 2009.
• Named NHL Rookie of the Month – December 2010
• NHL Rookie All-Star team captain – 2010–11
• Calder Memorial Trophy Finalist – 2010–11
• Named to NHL All-Star Game – 2012 and 2020*
• Western conference champion – 2015–16