Sharks' Logan Couture disappointed to be left out of club's official leadership group
San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture is disappointed that he wasn't selected to join the club's new official leadership group.
Couture was generally thought to be among a group of five players - including Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic - who were leading contenders to be named captain or alternate captain in the wake of the team stripping the letters from Thornton's and Marleau's sweaters this summer.
Ultimately, the club gave an "A" to every other player in the aforementioned group except Couture. Rejection ain't easy, and Couture admitted Friday that he's a bit disappointed by the result.
"I think it's human nature to be disappointed. Any player would be in this situation," he told David Polak of the San Jose Mercury News. "But you can't let it affect you and I won't. I'm going to come in and do the exact same thing I would if I had a letter or didn't."
"A lot of guys had conversations with the coaching staff, which direction they were going to go with the letters and stuff. It took a lot of thought, it was a long process," Couture continued. "The guys they chose are good leaders. They're star players on our team and go-to guys."
Despite Couture's admitted disappointment, he's handled the awkward situation in a way that has earned praise from Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.
McLellan on #SJSharks Couture: "Logan has been fine. He’s dealt with me the way I thought he would. Very professional."
— David Pollak (@PollakOnSharks) October 10, 2014
"When somebody doesn't get (a letter on their jersey)," McLellan said, "it's not like we're closing the door on the individual and saying, 'Don't ever come back, you're not qualified.' That's not the case."