For the first time in nearly three years, Gabriel Landeskog will play in an NHL game.
The Colorado Avalanche captain will make his return to the lineup for Game 3 against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. You can watch the game on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
Landeskog was the first player to take the ice at morning practice ahead of Game 3. He went through a series of shooting drills before his teammates joined him. When he takes the ice, it will be Landeskog’s first NHL appearance since June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to capture the Stanley Cup. He’s been sidelined because of a chronically injured right knee.
“I feel surprisingly calm and in control right now,” Landeskog said in a pre-game interview shared by the team on social media. “I found myself thinking about this moment a lot over the last three years, and now that it’s here, it’s reverse; I’m thinking a lot about the hard work that’s gone into it. Some of the ups, a lot of the downs… thankful for everybody and all their support, now it’s go time so I’m excited to get out there.”
Landeskog’s presence on the ice could provide a big boost not only for his teammates but the capacity crowd. His No. 92 sweater is a frequent sight around the arena.
“Everyone is rooting for him. It’s a great comeback story,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said after morning skate on Wednesday. “I trust in Gabe’s preparation, and what I’m seeing with my own eyes that he’s getting close and ready to play. I think he feels really good about where he’s at.
“Adding him back into our locker room, he’s almost an extension of the coaching staff, but he’s still one of the guys and the guy that everyone looks up to. You can’t get enough of that this time of the year.”
Landeskog’s injury goes back to the 2020 “bubble” season when he was accidentally sliced above the knee by the skate of teammate Cale Makar in a playoff game against Dallas. Landeskog eventually underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.
He was activated Monday before Game 2 in Dallas and skated in pregame warmups, but didn’t play.
Colorado’s first-round series with Dallas is tied at 1-1.
Watch the Avalanche and Stars face off in Game 3 beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+.
— With files from the Associated Press
