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Couture Can’t See Himself Playing Anywhere Else But San Jose

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Credit: San Jose Sharks

Logan Couture couldn’t hide his disappointment when the San Jose Sharks were officially eliminated from the playoffs.

“It’s one less year you have a chance to win it and I’m getting older,” the 33-year-old captain said about two weeks ago. “So it hurts more and more each year.”

So considering that it’s the third-straight year that the Sharks have missed the playoffs, would the ultra-competitive Couture want to chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere?

Logan Couture answered that question, among others, in his exit interview.

He also defended Bob Boughner, discussed the improved locker room chemistry, what needs to improve for the Sharks next year, and revealed that he’s too banged up to consider playing in the World Championships.

Logan Couture, on the season:

I think as a whole, there were ups and downs. I thought we played good hockey for long stretches. The losing streak that we hit near the end by one-goal losses, we kept it really close, we just couldn’t get that next goal that won us the game, whether it was in regulation or in overtime. I thought we competed for the majority of the season really, really hard.

I felt like we played good against good teams. Against the better teams, we played some really good games. But at the end of the day, it’s unfortunate that it ends today.

Couture, on what has to change next season and what he liked this year:

Win more games. Simple answer.

I think just finding ways to win games, finding that next goal. It just seemed like we had trouble scoring for large parts of the season, coming up with clutch goals. This is a big summer for a lot of guys. Veterans, rookies, we get lots of time here to train and get prepared and rest. And you know, it’s been three years where we haven’t gotten into where we want to go.

Going back to the start of the year, I liked our training camp. I thought we showed up and worked. Learning new systems or changing our systems. [The team] had a great start to the season, which I would really like to repeat next year.

Couture, on if Bob Boughner and the coaching staff should return:

I like the coaching staff a lot. I think the guys play extremely hard for them. In that room, we really respect those guys. Special teams were good and I liked the way that we were playing. So I think he and the rest of the staff should be back. It’s ultimately not our decision.

Couture, on the mood in the room this season:

100%, guys enjoyed coming to the rink and playing with each other. It’s tough when the season ends and guys are tight.

The room was very good this year.

Couture, on where the season went wrong:

I think that Florida trip, we played some really good hockey. Probably could have gotten two or three more points out of that trip, and then that break I think just halted our momentum for whatever reason. We had 12 days off between games. We lost some games coming out of that break. I think that’s probably the time where things changed. I’d have to go back and look at what happened in those games but I felt like that was probably the point.

Couture, on possibly going to the World Championships:

No, right now I’m just too banged up. It’s been a lot of hockey in the last little while, so I’m going to take some time here and rest. I think just physically and mentally I need a break here, [but I’ll] get back out here training pretty soon.

Couture, on the example he helped set for the younger guys:

I think myself and some other guys are looked up to in this locker room. We had a lot of young guys at the end of this season there. I don’t know how many rookies it was, but it felt like it was close to double digits by the end.

It’s not just vocally, it’s body language, the way that we carry ourselves. The way that we show up to work every day. Practice habits.

If you’re a captain or leader on this team, it may be easy to go through the motions some days when you’re out of it, but there’s always some young guys looking up to you and watching you and seeing how hard you practice and what time you get to the rink and all that. For us, I think we did a very good job as leaders, of showing them how to be pros in this league. Just working extremely hard.

Couture, on if he might want to chase the Cup with another team:

I signed a contract here for a long time. I was drafted here. I love this place. I love the fans here. I love living here. I’m very fortunate and very grateful that I get to play for this organization. I’ve said this many times, the fan base here is incredible to myself, my family. I can’t see myself playing anywhere else.

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