Logan Couture on video games, Sharks' chances, World Cup success (Puck Daddy Q&A)

When Logan Couture was nursing multiple injuries last season he never imagined he would be a on the cover of a video game in less than a year.

He also never envisioned that he would feel good enough lead the Sharks to a Stanley Cup Final or join Team Canada for the World Cup.

“It was a difficult year. It was probably the toughest year I had professionally by far,” Couture said.

Couture suffered a fractured right fibula in the first week of the NHL season, an injury that required surgery that kept him out almost two months.

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Then when he came back, he suffered a small arterial bleed near his right thigh area two games later, which kept him out three weeks after surgery.

Such issues are enough to derail a season for most players, but Couture seemed to find his game at the right time. He set a San Jose Sharks postseason record for points in a series with 11 against the Nashville Predators in the second-round of the playoffs. He led the NHL in playoff scoring with 30 points in 20 games.

His run, along with the Sharks’ push to the Stanley Cup Final, opened up a few doors for Couture. It was announced he was the cover athlete for NHL SuperCard 2K17, a card-battling game featuring NHL players.

Here is the description of the game from 2K:

Said Couture, “When I was younger, I collected hockey cards, there were certain players I wanted to get. You always wanted to get the better players, the guys who scored the most goals and with this it kind of brings the game into it where those players are more rare and you get excited when you get those guys and you play against them with people.”

We talked to Couture about the game, his 2015-16 season, his hopes for 2016-17 and his thoughts on why it seems like nobody’s picking the Sharks to replicate last year’s success.

Q: Have you thought of everything you went through last year to now being on a video game?

COUTURE: I mean, it definitely wasn’t on my mind at that point. I wanted to get back healthy and trying to play hockey again. Last year was such an incredible ride and being successful and if you get that exposure it’ll open up different opportunities individually and as an organization. I didn’t think this would happen but when (my agent John Thornton) told me about the opportunity I jumped at it and I was super excited for it.

You were badly injured twice. Went to a Cup Final. You won the World Cup. It seems like it has been a whirlwind the last several months for you.

Yeah, it was weird when that final horn sounded at the World Cup and we were celebrating and you kind of get the feeling like ‘OK the season’s over’ but no, the season hasn’t begun yet. We got back to San Jose, we took some time to rest.

We played one preseason game and we’ve had a couple of hard days of practice. I don’t think there’s a better way to jump into a hockey season than playing your rival and playing the Los Angeles Kings (Wedensday at the season opener) who play hard and in San Jose the crowd is going to be into it. I’m just excited for the game. I think we all are.

How did you get your confidence back so quickly after all the injuries?

It was a difficult year. It was probably the toughest year I had professionally by far.

My ankle was extremely painful after some games. It took me a little while to get back into it and that run built back that confidence, the self-belief that you’re going to be the player I think I am. Any time your team is successful and you’re contributing, you get that extra confidence. It really just snowballed from there. We beat LA and then Nashville and kept going. We were confident at the end last year. We all know it’s a brand new season and things change quickly in this league. There’s 30 teams that want to get to the Final and it’s a long season.

Judging from what we saw of the Sharks players at the World Cup, you guys seem to have a lot of energy going into the season. How’s that possible after how deep you went in the playoffs last year?

I think it’s one thing our management and our coaching staff told us right away – even after the season ended last year, it was that ‘the season’s done, move on, get back, get ready.’ And ‘the next season is going get here quick. Get re-energized, get your rest but get ready to go.’ Every year I’ve come here there has been so much excitement to get the season started. There’s a belief in this room we have a team that can win and be successful. So coming to the rink is fun. That’s the biggest thing. It’s just coming to the rink and everyone is here and we have such a great time playing this game. Everyone gets excited just to play and get the season started.

What was it like getting over the hump as an organization and making a Cup Final last year?

Around the town was great. There are so many fans that had stuck with this team through some great times and through some tough times and to see the excitement on their faces, the support we got. One thing about playing out here is you’re not going to get noticed when you’re walking around, which a lot of players love that you can go out and be yourself but during that run it was tough to walk around and not get noticed. A lot of people come up to you and say, ‘we’re really pulling for you’ and ‘good luck. Go get them.’

Does it bother you when people don’t predict your team to replicate last year’s success, even though you’re bringing back pretty much everyone?

I think anything that’s said outside this dressing room you kind of brush it off. I’ve been around long enough to understand predictions at the start of the year don’t mean anything. We believe in this room that we have a good team that can compete with the best teams in the league. We realize how tough it is to go as far as we did last year. It took a lot to get there and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to get back there.

What’s it like being on the cover of a video game? Most athletes dream of such scenarios.

I’m excited. John, my agent, has a relationship with 2K and he brought the idea to me and I really jumped at it. I was excited to have that opportunity especially after the year we had last year in San Jose to help build the Sharks up and just another opportunity for me.

Do you think the Cup run helped open doors for more opportunities for you?

I think so, personally I think the more exposure you get as a hockey player when your games are nationally televised. We had that long run. I think that helped our organization in San Jose hopefully build the fanbase back up one year after a tough season. They’re passionate fans in San Jose. We want to build the game of hockey in this area so I think the more exposure we get out here will only help the game of hockey and the NHL.

What about this game is most fun to you?

As a young kid I collected hockey cards so the idea of bringing video games and card collecting together, I thought was a terrific idea so I’m excited to be a part of it.

Bringing trading cards into a video game setting seems kind of Silicon Valley-like to a degree, doesn’t it?

When I was younger (and) I collected hockey cards, there were certain players I wanted to get. You always wanted to get the better players, the guys who scored the most goals and with this it kind of brings the game into it where those players are more rare and you get excited when you get those guys and you play against them with people. The big guys are goal scorers, the rare guys are going to help you win. I think it’s an exciting way to build the game of hockey to a different avenue of people.

I want to build this game of hockey as big as we possibly can and I think this is another opportunity to find a family or kid or someone out there will get attached to the game of hockey. I think this is a great way to try and build it.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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