Perhaps Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog should have a trophy named after him for his incredible resilience and determination on his remarkable, three-year journey back to the NHL. While he does not yet have a namesake award, he has earned the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given “to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” That is Landeskog in a nutshell.
As a notable bonus, Landeskog was also named the winner of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, presented “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.” While there is a committee to determine the finalists, the winner is ultimately selected by the Hall-of-Famer himself.
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Perseverance is Landeskog’s middle name
The 33-year-old forward missed three regular seasons due to an injury sustained during the shortened 2020-21 season. He played 51 games of the 2021-22 season and all postseason matchups, leading the Avs to their third Stanley Cup.
After several procedures to repair his knee, he underwent cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023. It was an unprecedented surgery for a professional hockey player, and the odds were against him. His extensive recovery was documented in a six-episode series called “A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog.”
He returned to the ice at the end of the 2024-25 season for two games with the Colorado Eagles. And then joined the Avs for Games 3 through 7 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars. He was a finalist for the Masterton last season but fell short to Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan.
How Landeskog exemplifies sportsmanship
As the proof is in the numbers, the Avalanche earned franchise-high points and the President’s Trophy in Landeskog’s first full season back.
He missed 22 games due to injuries, and his absence impacted the team. In 60 regular-season games played, he earned 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) and had a plus-29 rating. He scored six goals and had five assists for 11 points in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound forward does not shy away from confrontation on the ice, especially when it involves defending his teammates. Physicality is part of his game, but he does not take cheap shots, nor does he display dirty play.
Landeskog is synonymous with dedication
The Stockholm, Sweden native’s recovery was long and gruesome. After the cartilage replacement surgery, he progressed slowly at the start and suffered setbacks along the way.
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But as a leader, it was crucial for his mental health and his team’s morale to be present off the ice.
While he was rehabbing, he continued to play a huge part behind the scenes. He kept his finger on the pulse of the team when they were separated and inserted himself where he could when they were united.
The team was noticeably different without him. And significantly changed with his return. He worked hard after a serious injury to his groin to captain his native country’s team in the Winter Olympics.
While the other Masterton finalists, Jonathan Toews and Rasmus Dahlin, deserve respect for their battle stories, Landeskog’s fighting spirit and determination are what made him the winner.
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