Couture named captain of Sharks, replaces Pavelski

Logan Couture was named captain of the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

The 30-year-old forward is the 10th captain in Sharks history. Joe Pavelski, who signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars as an unrestricted free agent July 1, was San Jose's captain from 2015-19.
"Since I arrived in San Jose four seasons ago, we have been blessed with a tremendous amount of leadership on our roster," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "Logan has grown up within that environment and evolved into someone who not only plays his best hockey when it matters the most, but who also leads by example off the ice. He knows what it takes to win, and his performance in our recent playoff runs reflects that.
"Most importantly, Logan has the respect of his teammates, and we're extremely proud to name him as the 10th captain of the San Jose Sharks."

Couture is entering his 11th season with the Sharks and the first year of an eight-year contract extension he signed July 1, 2018. He had an NHL career-high 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists) last season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 14 goals. He was selected by the Sharks with the No. 9 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft and has 507 points (240 goals, 267 assists) in 663 NHL games, and 101 points (48 goals, 53 assists) in 116 playoff games.
Defensemen Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, and forwards Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton were named alternate captains. Thornton, who will play his 22nd NHL season after agreeing to a one-year contract Sept. 6, was Sharks captain from 2010-14.

"We have a great blend of talent and experience among these four players who will support Logan as alternate captains," DeBoer said. "Two of these players are previous captains themselves (Karlsson for the Ottawa Senators) and we feel this group is a reflection of our team's identity and their leadership will be counted on both on the ice and in the community."
Seven NHL teams remain without a captain: the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights.