Months after he couldn’t get out of bed, Sharks skipper makes dramatic return

Osteitis pubis is a hip/groin condition that has kept the 34-year-old Couture out of action since before training camp began. The National Library of Medicine describes it as a “noninfectious, chronic inflammatory state of the pubic symphysis and surrounding soft tissues… all resulting in groin or lower abdominal pain.”

“I was reflecting on the past four months as I drove to the rink this morning,” Couture said to reporters on Saturday morning. “What I had to cope with was osteitis pubis. There were bad days. I had days when I was unable to leave bed. It’s been a very long road from those days to where I am at this point.

Osteitis pubis, which is defined as a “noninfectious, chronic inflammatory state of the pubic symphysis and surrounding soft tissues… all resulting in groin or lower abdominal pain” by the National Library of Medicine, is the hip/groin condition that Couture, 34, disclosed he was dealing with on Saturday morning. Couture has been sidelined since before training camp began.

Couture said to reporters on Saturday morning, “I was thinking about how the last four months had gone when I was driving to the rink this morning.” “What I was suffering from was osteitis pubis. A few days were really bad. I struggled to get out of bed on certain days. It has been a long, long journey from those days to where I am now. Thus, I’m merely thrilled.

During his opening shift on Saturday, Couture won the faceoff, tracked the ball into the attacking zone, and struck Ilya Lyubushkin, the defenceman for the Ducks.

On April 13, 2023, Couture’s final game was against the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid of the Sharks. The Sharks have seen some changes since then, as Hertl, Zetterlund, Mario Ferraro, Nico Sturm, and Henry Thrun were the only five players that dressed for Saturday’s game.