Couture scores big on charity initiative
LONDON, ONT. A couple of years ago, London native Drew Doughty suffered a freak concussion during an on-ice collision in a summer skating session in his hometown.
The fear and doubt was overwhelming.
“So scary,” the Los Angeles Kings defenceman said. “The head is so scary because you never know what the outcome could be. The brain is important and you’ve got to protect it.”
Fortunately, his old friend — and now NHL Western Conference rival — Logan Couture has enlisted himself in the fight against concussions.
The early returns from the San Jose Sharks star’s inaugural $175-a-pop All-in for Brain Research charity casino fundraiser Wednesday in London was a 560-ticket sellout with organizers estimating in excess of $100,000 to go toward research and recovery.
To get a sense of how much concussion awareness has enveloped the sporting consciousness, Couture’s early goal was 300 tickets sold and half of the actual total raised. “It’s humbling and, just from the response so far, it’s exciting,” Couture said.
Sharks teammate Chris Tierney, one of the NHLers who joined the cause along with Doughty, said he wasn’t surprised by Couture’s drive to make a difference.
“Logan’s a really good teammate and person off the ice,” the native of Keswick, Ont., said.
“You ask any young guy on San Jose or who broke into the league the past three, four years, he treats them all really well and you can see how much he cares for people.”
Couture recovered from two concussions during his junior hockey days in Ottawa, and he says he wants younger players who go through that experience to have the right support system.
The night wasn’t all hockey: Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner chipped in to the cause by sending a bat as part of a silent auction package.
“That’s pretty cool,” Couture said with a grin. “I got that in the mail last week.”