Logan Couture (born March 28, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays 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.
Although he was born in Guelph, Ontario, Couture spent most of his life growing up near the hamlet of Birr, near London, Ontario. He started playing minor hockey with the Lucan Irish (DD) of the 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 1999. 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 played three years with the ‘AAA’ London Junior Knights of the Minor Hockey Alliance League and was a teammate of Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty. After his Bantam year with the Jr. Knights, Couture signed with the Junior B St. Thomas Stars.
In May 2005, Couture was drafted by the Ottawa 67′s 12th overall in the 2005 OHL Priority Draft. Couture went on to score at a 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.[1] The next season, in 2005–06, Couture was added to the OHL roster for the 2006 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, replacing Jordan Staal, who was retained by Pittsburgh Penguins.[2] He was also selected to play for the Eastern Conference in the 2007 OHL All-Star Game, winning the shooting accuracy competition.[3] After completing his second OHL season improving to 78 points in 54 games, Couture was drafted 9th 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.[4] Next season, the 2008–09 season he finished in 9th 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 8-point performance in 3 games.[5]
On October 25, 2009, Couture made his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers.[6] 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 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He got the game tying goal in game 3 in the second round against the Red Wings.[7]
Couture was also an integral part of the success of the 2009-10 AHL Worcester Sharks as he played 42 games scoring 20 goals and 33 assists for 53 points. He was a league-leader with 9 game winning goals and was named to the AHL all-rookie team. He was 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 NHL season 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.
On August 26, 2011, Logan Couture signed a 2 year, $5.75 million dollar extension through the 2013-2014 season.
Personal life
Couture was born in Guelph, Ontario, to Chet and Lori. At birth there was a NHL-future omen: The delivery-room nurse Bernadette Devorski is the mother of NHL referee Paul & NHL linesman Greg Devorski. He has a younger brother by two years, Judson. Logan attended Lucas Secondary School. Coming from an athletic family, his father, Chet Couture, is a firefighter who played OHA senior hockey for 13 years and is a veteran National Lacrosse League (NLL) referee, while his mother, Lori Couture, a graduate of Brock University, is 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 9-year veteran MILL [Major Indoor Lacrosse League] pro lacrosse & OLA lacrosse player, and is the current NLL vice-president of operations]. On his father’s side, his grandfather, Bob Couture was a softball pitcher and a guitar player, naming his son Chet after the legendary Chet Atkins. Growing up, Logan was a Buffalo Sabres and a Dominik Hašek fan. Logan was an exceptional athlete excelling specifically in lacrosse & in baseball where he was a two-time Honda Canada/Toronto Bluejays “hit-run-throw” contest Canadian national champion in his age group. Logan decided at age 13 to drop the pursuit of baseball for the game of hockey.
Records and accomplishments
- All-time NHL leader in rookie-season road game-winning-goals scored – 9 [8]
- San Jose Sharks franchise leader in rookie-season goals scored – 32 [9]
- 2nd in 2010-2011 season NHL rookie goals scored – 32 (behind M. Grabner)
- 2nd in 2010-2011 season NHL rookie points scored – 56 (behind J. Skinner)
Awards
- Named to the OHL All-Star Game in 2007, 2008* and 2009.
- Named OHL Player of the Week on March 16, 2009.[5]
- Name NHL Rookie of the Month – December 2010
- NHL Rookie All-Star team captain – 2011
- Calder Memorial Trophy Finalist – 2010-11 NHL season
- Named to NHL All-Rookie team – 2011
- Named to NHL All-Star Game – 2011-12 NHL season