“It was awesome”: Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog hits ice for 1st time in 3 years

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog made a triumphant return to the ice on Friday night, playing the first game of his conditioning stint with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

Landeskog, who hadn’t played since the final game of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, hit the ice for the first time in nearly three years. Judging by the visuals alone, he looked confident and didn’t seem to miss a step.

The crowd in attendance gave the Avalanche captain a standing ovation during pre-game warmups. The crowd chanty “Landy!” was indicative of the support Eagles and Avalanche fans have for one of the most respected players in the game.

Here’s a look at the moment and comments from Gabe Landeskog himself:

As for the game, the Eagles defeated the Henderson Silver Knights by a score of 2-0. Trent Miner stopped 29 shots to earn the shutout. While the action on the ice was crucial for both teams, the game was overshadowed by Landeskog’s return to the ice.

Here’s a look at Denver 7’s coverage of the post-game press conference:

Following the game, Landeskog described the experience as:

“It was awesome. I mean, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time… Obviously, there were times when I didn’t know if it was going to happen. So, it felt great being in the battle again.”

The Eagles will play the Silver Nights once again on Saturday night. It’s unclear whether Landeskog will suit up again on back-to-back nights. Regardless, Landeskog is eligible to play two more games as part of his AHL conditioning stint.

The Avalanche can request a two-game extension, giving him five total games in the AHL. If everything goes well, Landeskog could be back on NHL ice during the 2025 NHL playoffs.

Gabe Landeskog’s Colorado Avalanche teammates in attendance to support their captain

Among the thousands of appreciative fans, several of Gabe Landeskog’s Colorado Avalanche teammates were in attendance including Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

As the Avalanche’s X post noted, the group is not just teammates, they’re brothers. The brotherhood between Landeskog and his Avalanche teammates is the sort of bond that emerges among soldiers who grow together in battle.

Indeed, the countless battles Landeskog led his troops forged an unbreakable bond between all of them. Now, the Avalanche will get a shot in the arm as their captain is close to returning to the ice.

As it stands, Landeskog’s return looks like something scripted out of a Hollywood movie. A star player injured at the peak of his career, seemingly loses everything, long road back, hits the ice, and then returns to win another championship.

If Kevin Costner ever made a hockey movie, this is what it would look like.