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Logan Couture on the World Cup, a new NHL season, and video games
A new NHL season gets underway on Wednesday with one of the most appealing opening night matchups coming in San Jose, where the reigning Western Conference champion Sharks will open against interstate rivals in the Los Angeles Kings.
Logan Couture is one guy who's looking for a hot start to a bounce-back regular season, as the Sharks forward put up just 36 points (his lowest total since becoming a full-timer in 2010-2011) in 52 games during an injury-plagued campaign last year. He did, however, nearly match that total with 30 points during San Jose's 24-game playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they eventually lost to the Penguins in six games.
Since returning to the ice this fall, Couture has remained pretty busy. He was a part of Canada's dominant championship squad at the World Cup of Hockey in Toronto last month before reporting to Sharks training camp. He's also the cover athlete for a NHL SuperCard 2K17, a new hockey collectible card-battling game from 2K. The mobile game, which is available for free download from various app stores, allows users to collect cards featuring current and legendary NHL players and compete against others.
I got a chance to speak to Couture on the eve of the season opener about a variety of things -- including the new project with 2K, his experience with trading cards and video games, takeaways from the World Cup, his expectations for this season, and, yes, even the presidential election.
PB: Talk to me a little bit about your involvement with NHL SuperCard 2K17
Couture: I’m very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this. It was brought to my attention by my agent John, who has a relationship with 2K. He actually gave me the 2K NHL game when Joe [Thornton was on the cover]. That was when I was first introduced to 2K, so I was familiar with it.
I collected cards when I was a kid and it was something I was into along with all my other teammates. I remember going to the hockey rink and putting 25 cents in [for a pack of cards] and hoping to get my favorite players. The idea that this is a game using cards, I’m excited to be part of it.
The idea is pretty cool in terms of meshing the aspect of card collecting and actual video games. You said you were a card collector, but did you play hockey video games growing up too?
I did, yeah. My brother and I used to put in some crazy hours and drive my parents crazy. We’d neglect our homework and get upstairs and play PlayStation for a while. I was a big-time gamer. I’ve gotten away from it the past couple of years as I’m getting older but I’m hoping to get back into this year and going forward.
Do you remember any specific players that you particularly cherished when collecting cards or using them in a video game growing up?
Oh yeah. I was a big-time Buffalo Sabres fan growing up so I would open up my card packs and instantly search for Dominik Hasek, Miroslav Satan, Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and guys like that. The other thing I like about this game is that they’ve got the rare cards. That’s something that always peaked my interest when I was younger, looking for my favorite players and hoping that I got them. If I didn’t, I’d be excited for the next pack of cards. I really like the idea that they’ve got going with this game.
Do you pay attention to your own ratings when it comes to video games?
When I first came into the NHL I did. I think it’s something that every player does. They check the video games to see what rating they got, what they do well, what attributes aren’t great. That’s another thing that’s cool about this game –I think even current players are going to be interested in something like this to check out and see what’s rated well and what’s not.
Does any of this stuff motivate you if you feel like you’re rated too low?
I don’t know if it motivates you, but it definitely interests you. I think guys have enough motivations, they don’t need the video game ratings to motivate them.
Shifting gears a little bit, how was your experience at the World Cup? How does it compare to other international tournaments you’ve played in?
That was the first one I’ve played in in about 10 years. The last one I played in was the under-18 tournament, so the World Cup was definitely a new experience for me. Playing for Team Canada is humbling and just an incredible opportunity. They treat you so well when you’re a part of Hockey Canada. Playing in Toronto and in front of Canadian fans, obviously they’re so passionate.
Winning the tournament like that was something that I’m never going to forget . Playing with some of the best players in the world and getting to watch them play hockey and pick up little things that they do, I tried to soak in that whole experience. It’s something that I’m never going to forget.
With the tournament not being around for 12 years before that, was your expectation going into it? It’s before the season and obviously guys don’t want to risk their health or anything like that. Were there reservations over whether it was worth it?
You know what, possibly before the tournament. You don’t really have expectations. I’m sure guys were hoping you don’t get hurt, but once that tournament starts and you put on the Canada jersey, everything changes. You’re going out there and you’re playing for your country and you wanna play as hard as you possibly can and do anything you can to win for your country. You saw the first the first two games we played against the [United States] and those were two teams that will do anything to win a hockey game for their country.
At least on our team, you walk in and throw a Canadian jersey on and you’re ready to check your ego at the door and sacrifice to do whatever you can to help your team win. That’s why Hockey Canada has won so many events. Everyone buys into that system.
Was there anybody in particular that you enjoyed playing with or hanging out with on Team Canada?
We had a lot of guys that just enjoyed being around each other. We were only together for a month but it felt like we were a natural team that had spent the whole season together. There weren’t guys out there on their own, there weren’t cliques or groups.
I hung around with my Sharks teammates and got to know Carey Price, Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby, Drew Doughty… all those guys are so down to earth. They’re the best hockey players in the world and you couldn’t tell if you had a conversation with them. They’re down to earth, humble, easy to talk to, fun, outgoing. For me, it was a blast just getting to know all those guys.
What’d you think of Team North America? And do you think they should stick around if there’s another World Cup? There’s already talk about possibly doing away with them during the next tournament.
I thought they were great. It was exciting hockey. I thought it was great for our game, and that’s the most important thing. That’s what the World Cup of Hockey is around for, to build the game of hockey for people who may not see it all the time. I think the excitement that that team brought was just huge.
Even for us, when we were around as a team and they were playing, everyone was glued to the TV. We’re NHL players and we were captivated by the way that they played, so I’m sure fans of the game of hockey loved them and loved watching them. I hope they keep that team around. I know some of those guys may have wanted to play for their country but it was exciting to watch them play. I wish we would have gotten an opportunity to play against them.
This was somewhat of a whirlwind offseason around the league. How much do you pay attention to the movement of other players?
I try to. Everything really happens early July there, so I try to keep an eye on the Sharks first and foremost. I like the moves that we made. I think [Mikkel] Boedker is going to help us, [David] Schlemko’s going to help us. I think we’re a good team again and we’re excited for this year to start.
Across the league there are so many different moves that are made, it’s tough to keep track of all of them. It usually takes me a month into the season to remember guys have switched teams and so on. It’s going to be a different year. Some big bodies from our conference moved east and some guys from east moved west. It’s another hockey season and we’re excited to get started.
Do you feel any different coming into this season with a short offseason after having made the Stanley Cup Final? Especially with the World Cup taking place prior to preseason.
Personally, no. I’m just excited to get back to playing hockey again. I only played 50-something regular season games last year and I missed a huge chunk of the year with injuries. I feel good physically, I’m ready to go.
In San Jose, everyone is excited. Our group has so much fun more than anything. Some of our guys have been around 18-19 years and still have so much fun playing this game. They bring so much excitement to the rink everyday and the young guys really feed off of it. We’re all ready to get started. For us, there’s no better way to start than a home opener against the L.A. Kings.
You mentioned the injuries last year, but you did almost match your regular season point total during the playoff run to the Cup Final. How much does that do for your confidence heading into a new season?
Yeah, it helps. It takes a little while to get back into my groove, really. You miss 30 games and especially with a lower body injury, that’s tough to come back from. There’s the pain with having the plate and screws in your body, and just the confidence sometimes. Playing in the NHL, the speed is so quick and you have to make decisions so quick. When you start thinking you slow down and you don’t play your best.
It probably took me 15-20 games to get back to feeling myself again. I was happy that I was able to contribute down the stretch and in the playoffs during that run. I’m actually feeling like myself finally and it’s a fun ride to be on.
Some of your teammates – like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski – are older veterans who are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. As a relatively younger guy, does that help add to your drive at all - trying to help get them a Cup before they retire?
That’s something that was brought up to me a lot this summer. Everyone always said “we were pulling for you, we really wanted Jumbo [Joe Thornton] and Patty [Marleau] and those guys to win.” I don’t know if they’re just saying that and lying to me, but it seems like everyone I talked to this summer said that.
The feeling in the room is obviously that you want to win, and those guys are a big part of this organization. They’ve done a lot. Patty has been here for 18-19 years. Jumbo’s trade here was probably the biggest trade in Sharks history and helped build the game a lot out here in San Jose. They’ve both done a lot for this organization. We want to win obviously for ourselves and for the organization, but for those guys as well. They’re a big part of this team. You think about it every now and then, but it’s not something that’s on your mind every day.
The Warriors are basically the most talked-about team in all of sports at this point. Sharing a market with them, do you ever feel like you’re competing for fans or media coverage?
I don’t feel like we’re competing. I feel lucky I get to watch all their games. They’re incredible to watch. People in the Bay Area are very lucky sports fans – we have the Giants, who win every other year it seems, the Warriors are incredible, and then us.
I don’t feel like we’re competing for fans, it seems like people here are fans of all those teams, especially now. We’re all cheering for the Warriors, we’re cheering for the Giants, rooting for the other Bay Area teams to be successful. I’m sure if you ask them, they’ll all say the same thing.
Who’s the best trash-talker on the Sharks?
I think Jumbo is really good at it. Our team is actually pretty quiet, we’re one of the few teams that doesn’t have guys that are into running their mouths. Our bench is usually pretty quiet, but when somebody goes into a faceoff chirping Jumbo he usually quiets the other guy pretty quickly.
Who has the loudest bench in the league?
L.A. at times. Philadelphia is loud even though we only see them a couple times a year, and Anaheim at times. Those are probably the three.
What do you think your personal ceiling is for this season?
Each year I sit down before and I never say “well, I’m going to score this many goals this year.” I just always say I want to improve as a player, I want to try to do whatever I can to help the team win.
I’ve played enough games to know you’re not going to score or get an assist every single night but you can go out and do something that’s going to help the team be successful. I want to pick up little things because this game is evolving every single year. There are changes that happen and to be a good player in this league you have to change with it.
What does your offseason training program look like?
At the end of the season I sit down with the trainer here and he provides a training program for me. I ship that off to my trainer in London, Ontario and he goes over it to add a couple of things that I can use to get better.
I usually take about two weeks off and then get right back in the gym to get going again. I don’t skate usually until mid-July, but this year I waited until the start of August. I wait a little bit and then I get going, usually 3-4 times a week, and then ease right back into the season.
When you get those two weeks totally off at the end of the season, is there anything you do or enjoy in particular – like, a guilty pleasure or something – that you wouldn’t normally do while training or during season?
Not really, I’m actually pretty boring. I’ll sit by my pool, read a couple books, hang out and just rest. The biggest thing about playing on the west coast is that you travel so much and you really learn to use the time off just to rest your body and rest your mind, get your mind off the game. I golf a little bit. I just try to relax as much as possible.
You mentioned the travel aspect of being on the west coast, and I know you’re a big Netflix guy. What’s in your queue for the season?
Well, I just finished Narcos season two on Netflix. I haven’t watched anything since then. I’m actually big into true crime stuff so I watch a lot of Dateline and 48 Hours on their website since Netflix unfortunately doesn’t carry that. Right now I’m watching the JonBenet Ramsey story, so that’s what I’m into right now.
As a Canadian who lives in the United States, have you been paying attention at all to the presidential election and what can you take away from it?
Yes, I have. I actually watched a little bit of the first debate and I had to change the channel after a few minutes. It was difficult.
