Part 1 of this two-part interview with Logan Couture will debut in “Sharks Pregame Live” at 12:30 p.m. PT on NBC Sports California
The Sharks are the worst team in the NHL past the halfway point of the 2023-24 season, but they refuse to let that define them.
At 13-31-4 through 48 games this season, losing streaks and being on the wrong side of history have headlined San Jose's season. But if you ask Sharks center and captain Logan Couture, despite their record, the team won't allow losing to become their norm.
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"It's tough," Couture told NBC Sports California's Jason Demers in Part 1 of an exclusive two-part interview. "The one thing you can't allow to happen as a player, as a professional, as a competitor, is you can't accept losing -- and we haven't. This team definitely has not. Guys are very frustrated. Guys are upset. They still come into the rink and they work hard. No one's accepting us going through these skids. And that's the main thing that we want to hang our hat on at the end of the year, is that we compete every night. We don't accept the loss.
"We're pissed off about it. We try to improve. We're obviously in a tough spot, we've won 10 games of our first 45. Playoffs are probably not going to happen for us here so as players we can all continue to improve on our game in a certain type of way."
For Couture, he's had to watch the losses from the bench while missing the first 45 games of the season with a lower-body injury. Helpless. Impatient. Itching to get back on the ice with his squad.
But the extended absence allowed Couture to find other ways to contribute and lead his team.
San Jose Sharks
"As a leader, I can improve helping out young players. They're all going to play in new situations that they've probably never played before at this level. And for me, being injured, I learned how to listen more. When you're not involved in it, guys will come and speak their mind and tell you their problems. I've tried to do as good of a job as I possibly can listening to them and helping out with what I know and giving them little tips.
"But trying to get back in the lineup here, for me, I'm trying to establish myself the rest of the year, play good hockey and help the team try to win some games."
And whether they win or lose, it's clear the Sharks' mindset and approach won't ever change.