San Jose Sharks’ Logan Couture has career cut short by condition also faced by Edmonton Oilers’ Kevin Lowe

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With San Jose Sharks’ captain Logan Couture announcing he’s quitting the NHL because of osteitis pubis — the same malady that struck Hall of Fame Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kevin Lowe before the 1987 Canada Cup — it’s a painful, sad ending for the Sharks leader.

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Couture, whose last NHL game was on Jan. 31, 2024, in Anaheim, only played six games in the 2023-24 season. He isn’t officially retiring because he has two years left on an eight-year $64 million contract, but he will be on long-term injury until the contract runs out.

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Lowe was part of the training camp roster for the ’87 Canada Cup after the Oilers’ third Stanley Cup win but couldn’t play in the marvellous tournament. He recovered from his medical issue, however, to play another 10 years. Couture wasn’t so lucky.

Couture, 36, who was named Sharks captain when teammate Joe Pavelski signed with Dallas Stars as a free agent, has gone through many medical treatments for the problem, along with rest and recovery, but he couldn’t skate properly with the inflammation in the joint between the right and left pubic bones. It causes pain and swelling in the groin and abdomen.

Couture finishes with 701 points in 933 regular-season games but really stepped up in the playoffs. He had 101 points (48 goals) in 116 post-season games.

“Great player. I remember those great San Jose teams, and he was a massive piece of those teams,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “Obviously, you hate to see this. He’s been dealing with this for a long time now. I feel for him. I have great memories going against him, great battles.”

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“Really good player. I remember MacT’s (Craig MacTavish) buddy from London telling me before his draft year that he liked Couture better than Sam Gagner. Both weren’t great skaters, but Couture was a little bigger,” said the former GM Lowe, who opted for Gagner.

Gagner, playing junior in London, went sixth to the Oilers in the 2007 draft. Couture, playing in Ottawa, went ninth to the Sharks. The clever, puck-distributor Gagner, who hasn’t announced his retirement but stopped playing after a pro tryout on Ottawa’s farm team a couple of months ago, played 1,043 NHL games with 529 points, getting eight points one magical night against Chicago Blackhawks.

Lowe remembers trying to fight through the osteitis pubis problem during the Oilers’ glory days.

“For me, it’s like a groin pull. Constant burning sensation,” he said.

“I took anti-inflammatory medicine each game, which helped alleviate the pain. I was forced to stop running in the off-season, and it was strictly bike for cardio. It went away after that. They told me at the time it was a common condition for long-distance runners and pregnant women,” he said.

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Oilers draft pick Tyler Benson, who played this past season for MoDo in Sweden, had osteitis pubis when he was a junior with Vancouver Giants. Centre Marc-Antoine Pouliot, now 39, had it when much younger. Pouliot is still playing in Geneva, Switzerland. He played 168 games for the Oilers.

Bulletin-board material

When asked about Kings centre Phil Danault’s between-periods TV comment Monday that the Oilers were “a B squad trying to hurt us” comment, he shrugged.

“A lot of guys in that game are going to be playing in the (playoff) series,” said McDavid, who wasn’t playing in the 5-0 loss. “I’m not sure where he’s getting that notion. I’ve got nothing really to add to that.”

Actually, the only Oilers player crossing the line was Darnell Nurse, cross-checking Quinton Byfield after knocking him to the ice. He got a major, a game misconduct and a hearing with the NHL for a possible suspension. Last time we looked, Nurse was an A-lister, the Oilers’ best defenceman this season, making $9.25 million a season.

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Welcome to the NHL, young man

McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, college signee Quinn Hutson and defenceman John Klingberg, recovering from a foot issue, were part of a slim optional skate Tuesday before the Oilers travelled to San Jose.

McDavid, who has nine assists in the three games back from his injury, and Draisaitl, who has played just three games (lower-body) in the last month since being hurt against Utah, were both flying around. Exceedingly good role models for the winger Hutson, who got 14.5 minutes work in his NHL debut in the penalty-filled game against Los Angeles — no PP or PK time. He’ll likely play his second NHL game against the Sharks.

What’s Hutson learning from the two great Oilers at an optional skate?

“I don’t know. You might have to ask him. Hopefully, he’s paying attention. He’s seeing that we work hard. He’s coming from a great program at BU (Boston University) and from a great family (his Montreal Canadiens’ defenceman/brother Lane might win the Calder as top rookie),” said McDavid.

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Hutson can’t play Oilers games in the playoffs because he’s a free agent and wasn’t on their 50-man reserve list at the trade deadline. He can’t play in Bakersfield, either.

This ‘n’ that

With Couture quitting, they’ll have a vacancy for captain next season. Will GM Mike Grier fill it with, say, rookie Macklin Celebrini, who has 63 points in 69 games and will be one of the three finalists for the rookie of the year along with Hutson and likely Calgary goalie Dustin Wolf? Will Grier go really young with the C like with McDavid here and Jonathan Toews in Chicago? Both got the captaincy before their second NHL seasons. McDavid was 19, Toews 20. Celebrini turns 19 in June. Or will the Sharks wait past the 2025-2026 season?

The Oilers assigned Derek Ryan and Noah Philp to Bakersfield on Monday because they were up on emergency recall. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (sick) back and defenceman Josh Brown brought in from Bako (emergency with Troy Stecher out), they couldn’t stay…

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Klingberg seems to be skating well, even though he’s on LTIR and not eligible to play until after Game 1 of the Los Angeles series…

Oilers draft pick and Hutson’s Boston U forward teammate Matt Copponi signed an amateur tryout with Bakersfield…

Finnish free-agent signee defenceman Atro Leppanen is from the same town (Mantta) as ex-Oiler Risto Siltanen, 66, a pretty good offensive D in his own right, as we recall. Risto’s calling card was his booming shot. Leppanen is a puck-mover…

Nurse is the Oilers’ nominee for the King Clancy award, which goes to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice as well as making a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in the community…

The injury-wracked Bakersfield squad, trying to get the last playoff spot in the AHL’s Pacific Division, welcomed back the wounded Phil Kemp (broken hand), Drake Caggiula (shoulder), Travis Dermott (sick) and Connor Carrick to practice Tuesday. James Hamblin, who missed two months earlier this season, is leading the offensive charge there. He has 44 points in 48 games and is plus 22…

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Hutson wore No. 20 in his first NHL game. The last Oilers player to have that number was Slater Koekkoek. Hutson wore 17 at Boston U. Jari Kurri’s number is hanging from the rafters at Rogers Place. The Oilers are burning the first year of Hutson’s two-year deal by playing him now. He makes a base NHL salary of $788,000 with a signing bonus of $88,000. His minor-league salary is $85,000.

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