SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Logan Couture began dreaming of playing in the NHL as a 3-year-old carrying around a stick nearly everywhere he went.
After playing 15 seasons and more than 1,000 games in the regular season and playoffs, Couture can no longer play hockey because of a debilitating injury that has sidelined him for nearly 15 months.
鈥淢y career of playing hockey has come to an end," Couture said Tuesday. "I鈥檓 not physically able to play anymore. It鈥檚 tough. It sucks. But it is what it is. I loved and cherished every single moment that I got to play in this league. The NHL is everything that I thought it would be when I was a kid.鈥�
Couture's stellar career spent entirely with the San Jose Sharks came to a disappointing end as he has been unable even to skate January 2024. That led to the decision to officially stop trying to play in hopes that his physical condition can improve enough for him to play with his two young children.
The 36-year-old Couture has missed all but six games since the start of the 2023-24 season because of a debilitating condition called osteitis pubis, or inflammation in the joint between the left and right pubic bones.
Couture last played a game in the NHL on Jan. 31, 2024, and said he never got close to getting back on the ice with his teammates.
鈥淭he mental side of it is tough,鈥� he said. "It鈥檚 similar to when you lose in the playoffs. It鈥檚 like you run into a brick wall and the season ends and then you don鈥檛 know what to do. With this, it鈥檚 a little bit different because it鈥檚 physical. When it鈥檚 at its worse, there are days when I鈥檓 pretty sore. You can鈥檛 really do a lot. I鈥檝e got two young kids. So a lot of thoughts were going through my mind. ... But I鈥檓 in a good spot right now. I鈥檝e come to a peace with it the little while we tried everything and it didn鈥檛 work.鈥�
The career featured many high moments from a player known as one of the most clutch performers, especially in the postseason when he came close to carrying the Sharks to an elusive Stanley Cup title.
General manager Mike Grier called Couture 鈥渙ne of the greatest players鈥� in Sharks history. His will to win and deep desire made him captain of the Sharks for the last five seasons and earned universal praise from scores of teammates who either came in person to his news conference or delivered video messages.
鈥淐lutch goals. Clutch plays,鈥� longtime teammate Patrick Marleau said. "When I think a Logan, I just think of a complete player. Last minute of game, wherever the faceoff is, he鈥檚 on the ice. It doesn鈥檛 matter if it鈥檚 in D zone, offensive zone, neutral zone. He鈥檚 the guy, you know he鈥檚 going to go out there and he鈥檚 going to compete and get the job done.
Couture has two years remaining on the eight-year, $64 million contract that he signed in July 2018, and is owed $13 million in salary over the next two seasons. Couture will not officially retire and continue to get paid, while counting $8 million on San Jose鈥檚 salary cap in each of those seasons.
Couture missed the first 45 games last season because of the injury before returning to play six games in January. That made the injury worse and he has been shut down since then and hasn鈥檛 played or practiced with the team.
Couture had been a stalwart in San Jose and was one of the few remaining ties to the team鈥檚 successful runs in the 2010s. He was named captain of the team at the start of the 2019-20 season.
He had 323 goals and 378 assists in 933 career games and was a postseason star. He has 48 goals and 53 assists in 116 playoff games and led all players in postseason goals in 2019 with 14 and in postseason assists (20) and points (30) in 2016.
He said his best memories were scoring the empty-net goal to clinch the Western Conference Final at home against St. Louis to send the Sharks to the Stanley Cup for the first time and the epic comeback from 3-0 down in the third period to beat Vegas in Game 7 in the first round in 2019.
鈥淚f you鈥檝e ever been to a nightclub and sat beside speaker for a couple hours, and then you leave that nightclub and you鈥檙e on the street and your ears are ringing, and you just can鈥檛 hear what anyone鈥檚 saying," Couture recalled of that night. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it was like between the third period and overtime.鈥�
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AP NHL:
Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
