The Colorado Avalanche have been a dominant force in the NHL for a long time, all the way back in the mid 90s and early 2000s with their leadership of legendary talents like Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque, Adam Foote, Patrick Roy, and Peter Forsberg just to name a few. In the present NHL, the Avs still dominate with their new age stars in Nathan Mackinnon, Cale Makar, and their entire roster being led by one of the most grounded and wise captains currently in the league in Gabriel Landeskog.

However, ever since the Avalanche climbed the mountain and hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022, they’ve been without their captain due to an injury he sustained in the finals, and has been on the sideline trying everything to make his way back to the NHL. Landeskog sustained his injury when battling in the corner for a puck, and Colorado’s Cale Makar accidentally sliced Landeskog on the thigh with his skate, which took the captain out of the game but would thankfully not impede on their victory in the series and Colorado would take down the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

It was discovered afterwards, that the damage Makar’s skate blade had done to the muscles and nerves in Ladeskog’s thigh would be quite severe and he would need to take a hefty amount of time off to recover and rehab before getting back on the ice.

Over the last two and a half years, Landeskog’s progress had been kept quiet, with no one truly knowing just how well he was coming along. The captain could be seen in attendance at Avalanche game throughout the 2024-25 season, and in the background he was slowly but surely working everyday at accomplishing his goal. A documentary has been in the works, following Landeskog on his journey since the end of the cup final in 2022, seeing him on every stretch of his journey to recovery, through all the ups and downs. Landeskog mentioned to the camera that he has attributed his family, more specifically his daughters as motivation to working harder and harder to reaching back to the NHL. Finally, the hockey world would begin to see the captain more and more back on ice for the first time since his injury. First it would be him joining the Avs at a single practice, which then turned into three straight practices. Soon the team would announce that Landeskog would be loaned to the Av’s AHL affiliate team, the Colorado Eagles on a conditioning assignment. This was by far the biggest leap he had taken in his road to recovery, finally stepping back on the ice and suiting up for his first professional hockey game since game six of the finals almost three years ago.

His first game with the Eagles went well, and after the game the cheers for Landeskog were electric inside Blue Arena, but the real how wouldn’t be until his second game with the team. In game number two, the Eagles were down one in the third period against the Henderson Silver Knights, and off a one timer from the point, Landeskog went to the front of the net and redirected the shot past the goalie to tie the game and record his first career AHL goal.

👏 Congrats to Gabriel Landeskog on recording on his first AHL goal as he continues his journey back to the @NHL . @ColoradoEagles @Avalanche pic.twitter.com/pbyE6DgIl9

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) April 13, 2025

Almost three years with no playtime, and finally Landeskog found his way back to the scoresheet and the Eagles would end up winning that game and Landeskog was awarded the game’s first star. Landeskog would play one more game with the Eagles, and on April 14, it was announced that his time with the Eagles had been terminated and that he would return to the Avalanche. Head Coach Jared Bednar was asked by the media about Landeskog’s progression and he said, “when he says he feels ready, he’s going to play.” This bode of confidence from the coach is just another cog in the wheel that’s steering Landeskog back in the direction of his inevitable return. It feels for fans of the Avalanche and for the game of hockey as a whole, that the question on Gabriel Landeskog’s return is no longer “if” but “when”.

What makes this story even more exciting is the fact that the NHL postseason is less than one week away, and with the Avs slated to face off against a formidable Dallas Stars team, the presence of their Captain back in the locker room and on the ice could be a major factor in deciding a winner in that series. It’s uncertain if Landeskog will be ready in time for game 1 of the first round, but hopes have never been higher and all the signs are pointing in the right direction that Landy will be back in time for the playoffs. It would feel nothing short of a storybook ending, if the man who captained the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup, worked endlessly everyday since then to recoup and return to the game, would return just in time three years later to help captain his team back to the finals once again, and rightfully win the cup that he never got the chance to defend.