Couture takes first big step in comeback
Skates after practice, but team’s top scorer uncertain about return
SAN JOSE >> Logan Couture took a significant step in his recovery from a concussion after Sharks practice Friday. But the alternate captain’s evaluation of the injury painted a bleak picture of his timeframe for rejoining the lineup.
Couture skated for about 10 minutes after practice Friday, the first time he has stepped on the ice since he suffered a head injury against the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 15. After his skate, the Sharks’ top scorer tempered the enthusiasm regarding his return to the ice, stating that he’s “a long ways away” from being healthy enough to play.
“There’s a lot of stuff that has to happen to come back. You can’t just skate and then say you’re fine,” Couture said.
“I’m not playing if I don’t feel good. It could be one game, it could be 10 games, it could be the whole season. With head injuries, you don’t know. There’s no timeline. Everyone’s different. Everyone handles it different. Everyone’s brain handles it different. These are usually injuries that are tough to judge.”
But Couture cleared the first hurdle in his return by skating. The next step is seeing how his body responds. It’s common for athletes who suffer concussions to experience setbacks in their symptoms after they go through the process of increasing their heart rates through physical exertion.
“It’s a long ways away,” Couture said, adding: “It’s all about how I
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react to doing this today, so it’s a day-by-day thing, and we’ll just take the next step when it comes.”
Couture will be sidelined when the Sharks (18-11-4) face the first-place Los Angeles Kings at SAP Center Saturday. At this point, it’s unclear whether he will be healthy enough to return after the Christmas break when the Sharks play the Calgary Flames on Dec. 28.
Regardless, coach Pete DeBoer provided a more optimistic assessment of Couture’s injury, calling his return to the ice a “great sign.”
“He feels good, so I don’t anticipate setbacks. But you never know,” the Sharks coach said.
Couture became a poster child for hockey toughness last spring when he suited up for six games in the Stanley Cup playoffs less than three weeks after he took a puck to the mouth, causing damage to all of his teeth. He skated throughout the playoff series with his mouth being held together by wiring and plastic.
Nevertheless, Couture told this newspaper during training camp that concussions are one injury that he would never attempt to play through, a statement he reiterated Friday.
“I’m a guy that’s had head injuries before, I know the consequences down the line,” Couture said in September. “It’s up to the player, as well, to realize that you’ve only got one brain and that injury is very, very serious.”
Couture knows the longterm health risks that he would expose himself to by attempting to play through a concussion.
He suffered two head injuries during his junior hockey career with the Ottawa 67’s more than a decade ago, and last summer, he teamed with Hall of Famer Eric Lindros to boost awareness about the health risks associated with concussions.
The 28-year-old center also held a charity event in his hometown of London, Ontario, to raise funds for concussion research.
“It’s something that’s big in my hometown,” Couture said. “Eric Lindros is from there. He’s donated a lot of his time and money. Obviously, he had to retire from head injuries, so I just followed his lead and decided to do something going down a similar path.”
If the Sharks’ leader in goals (15) and points (26) misses a significant number of games, it could be a significant blow to the team’s playoff aspirations.
The Sharks are clinging to a one-point lead over the Flames and Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Anaheim Ducks, who have played the majority of the season without Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, are returning to health and trailing the Sharks by two points. The Edmonton Oilers are hitting their stride after a dismal start, closing the gap to San Jose to six points this week.
“We miss his presence in the lineup, and the longer he’s out, the more that’s probably felt,” DeBoer said.
• The Sharks reassigned center Danny O’Regan to the AHL Barracuda on Friday, recalling defenseman Joakim Ryan. O’Regan recorded possession ratings of 30.0 percent and 26.67 percent over his last two games.
• DeBoer said that Paul Martin will play the final game of his conditioning assignment with the Barracuda at SAP Center on Friday.
• Barclay Goodrow also skated after Sharks practice Friday. DeBoer hopes Goodrow could return to full practice after the Christmas break.