Hockey History
Couture Announces End of Playing Career
San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture is officially stepping away from hockey.
“My career of playing hockey has come to an end. I’m not physically able to play anymore,” Couture announced at a press conference held at SAP Center on Tuesday. “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.”
Couture – who has captained the team since 2019 – has 933 games played in the NHL, all with the San Jose Sharks. He amassed 323 goals and 378 assists in those games. But he will be best remembered for his playoff performances, where his 101 points in 116 post-season contests between 2010 to 2019 is fourth only to future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Evgeni Malkin.
However, in the summer of 2023, Couture was felled by osteitis pubis, a deep groin issue that has sidelined him for most of the last two years.
The 36-year-old rehabbed hard this past summer, but never came close to even skating.
“I just didn’t think that I was going to get better, and I didn’t think I was going to get back on the ice. I don’t know if I will in the future, definitely not to play any games,” he said, “but hopefully, one day, I can take my kids out on the ice and skate.”
As for the Sharks next year, because Couture did not officially retire, his $8 million AAV will remain on the books for each of the last two years of his contract, which ends in 2026-27. If Couture had officially retired, he’d be walking away from $13 million cash over the next two seasons.
Because of the exploding salary cap and the unlikelihood of San Jose fielding a Cup contender in the next two years, that contract shouldn’t be any issue. And if it is, the Sharks can put Couture on LTIR or trade the contract.
But that’s the nitty-gritty, today was about the many good memories.
During his opening statement, Couture reflected on some of his most memorable moments of his career, from his NHL debut in Philadelphia to the Game Seven comeback against the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2019 Playoffs.
Sharks players, past and present, attended the press conference, including Joe Thornton, Macklin Celebrini, and Will Smith. It appeared as if the entire current Sharks team and coaching staff were in attendance.
And those who couldn’t make it – Doug Wilson, Todd McLellan, Pete DeBoer, Dan Boyle, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, and Tomas Hertl – recorded tribute messages for Couture.
While Couture is stopping his playing career with no future professional plans in mind, Grier made clear he’ll always have a job with the San Jose Sharks if he wants one.
Couture saved his message to the fans for last.
“First time I came to San Jose in 2007, I could just see and feel the passion that Sharks fans had,” Couture said. “I just want to say thank you for making SAP Center the hardest building for other teams to come into and play against us. You asked players that played from the mid-2000’s to a couple years ago what their goal was in the first 10 minutes of the game, and it was just survive, try not to get down by two or three. And that’s a credit to the fans. It’s a credit to our team. Thank you, guys.”
Much respect to one of the best and toughest players to ever wear teal.
He deserved to win rookie of the year! I think Jeff Skinner won it instead. I remember getting the sense that Logan took it it positively, and used it as added motivation.
Kind of weird how it it worked out, Couture is retiring after a long career filled with playoff appearances as Skinner is getting ready to play his first playoff game after 1000 regular season games.
Skinner did win it instead. My (and many others’) speculation was that part of it was influenced by him not being a true rookie, having played the maximum number of regular season games (25) plus 15 playoff games the year before his rookie season. Despite being eligible, at least some voters likely gave the edge to Skinner because of that.
Oh that’s an interesting point. I assumed it was just east coast bias.
Cooch also played 25 games the prior year w/ the Sharks, wish he would’ve won, but Skinner did have more points, which for those that voted and didn’t stay up late for SJS games…oh, the east coast bias…
This, + age difference Skinner was 18 and Couture had gone back to the OHL for 2 seasons. Couture was 20 for most of the season turning 21 in March.
Will he stay on LTIR, for 2 years?
Yes. According to Sportsnet.
I don’t think so, regardless of what Sportsnet might say. He’d be on normal IR like he has been for the past two seasons and we can place him on LTIR if we need to. Without his cap hit it’ll be difficult for us to hit the floor, so we probably keep him on normal IR.
Yes. Regular IR unless they need to use his cap space for a bother player then he goes to LTIR. On IR he doesn’t count against the active roster.
One thing from the 2 mins of LTIR research I’ve done is that it appears it can only be used in season. So the team will have to be in compliance with the cap including Couture’s number throughout any offseason acquisitions. So LTIR can only be valuable for in season moves, which the team would only make if they are competing. So it’s a potential tool in the belt, probably more for 26-27 than next year, but we aren’t suddenly free of the contract. It’s ok, the team will be fine. But it’s why they will ideally stay on short… Read more »
Close but not quite right.
Teams can exceed the cap ceiling by up to 10% without penalty during the off-season. Teams must be salary & roster compliant before opening day when the salary cap becomes enforced. LTIR’s use only applies to teams that are at the salary cap ceiling and need to exceed it because rostered players being injured and needing additional cap space. In that event, teams can designate players for LTIR and the portion of that players salary that causes the team to exceed the ceiling then that portion of the salary will not count.
A total stud of a hockey player. Showed up when it mattered most, in the playoffs. All the best to him and his family, and may good health come sooner than later!
One detail I did appreciate: Before the media asked their questions, he tried to give the rest of the team a chance to duck out and have their time back. Solid move. No one was ever gonna take him up on it of course – but still a player’s player move.
I can’t think of many players I would rather have had in the playoffs. He was so clutch.
The timing with the Instagram unfollowing and removing of Sharks stuff and then refollow…that has to be related to this. There are no coincidences.
But why? I can’t see any argument that the team messed with him at all. I don’t think they have anything to gain from having him announce this.
Maybe he got to the point where he didn’t want to keep trying to rehab and wanted to make this call and the team wasn’t cool with it at first. They had their argument and fight about it and then made up.
Or maybe, as with any painful decision, he needed some distance.
He said all the right things yesterday, so if there is something under the surface, he was too classy by far to air it out.
I wish him the best going forward, sounds like the world is his oyster now
Happy retirement, Mr. Clutch!
“Clutchure”
“Cap’n celebrini71″🥇