Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is set to make his professional game debut in nearly three years with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League on Friday night. The 32-year-old forward has been sidelined since the end of the 2022 season due to a knee injury and subsequent surgeries.
Landeskog, who helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, is on loan to the Eagles as part of a minor league conditioning assignment. If all goes well with his stint in Loveland, he could be activated for Game 1 of Colorado’s first-round playoff series against the Central Division’s No. 3 seed.
Coach Jared Bednar expressed excitement for Landeskog and his family, saying “I’m just thrilled for him” as he finally returns to game action after a long road to recovery. Several teammates, including Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, will miss the final trip to catch a glimpse of Landeskog’s return.
Landeskog’s injury dates back to 2020 when he suffered a cartilage transplant procedure due to an accidental skate collision with teammate Cale Makar. He has been on long-term injured reserve since then, and his comeback has been documented in a series called “A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog” airing on TNT and TruTV.
Bednar noted that this is the toughest time of the year for Landeskog to jump back into a lineup, but expressed confidence in his abilities. The team will reassess Landeskog’s readiness with each passing day, pending successful completion of his conditioning stint.
Source: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/avalanche-captain-gabriel-landeskog-to-play-ahl-game