Couture feared career could be over while rehabbing lower-body injury

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture worried about the future of his playing career while rehabbing a lower-body injury that's kept him out of the entire 2023-24 season.

Couture met with the media for the first time in months on Tuesday and opened up about the struggles of being sidelined for an extended period.

"I can honestly say two months ago, I would wake up and didn't know if I was ever going to play in the NHL again," he said, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. "It's something that I thought of many, many days."

He added: "When you're injured, your mind does some crazy things. There are some crazy thoughts. This is my life, and this is what I love to do, and your body doesn't allow you to do it."

Couture and the Sharks haven't offered any specifics about the 34-year-old's injury. In late September, he was given a week-to-week recovery period and was hopeful to be ready for San Jose's season opener. He is now out indefinitely.

"That was the toughest part, the unknown," Couture said. "The waking up one day and feeling good, then waking up the next day and feeling really crappy. Just not knowing there was no light at the end of the tunnel. There was no timeline set, just kind of a week-by-week, day-by-day thing."

Couture has resumed skating but isn't yet practicing with his teammates. A potential return to game action remains unclear.

The Sharks drafted Couture ninth overall in 2007. He's racked up 700 points in 927 career games with the franchise and was named captain in 2019.

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