It was an emotional lead-up to the game for Landeskog, too. There were the ovations by the crowd, and chants of "Landy, Landy, Landy." There were signs all over the arena, including one held up by his kids that read, "So proud of you Daddy!" The team played a video tribute of him as well, with Landeskog tapping his heart in appreciation.
This was Landeskog's first NHL appearance since June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to capture the Stanley Cup. He was sidelined because of a chronically injured right knee.
The gap between his games with the Avalanche? Some 1,032 days.
He became the fifth player in NHL history — among those with a minimum of 700 games played — to return to his team after 1,000 or more days without a contest, according to NHL Stats. The last one to do so was longtime Avalanche forward and Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg.
Leading into the game, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was non-committal on Landeskog's availability, saying only, “well see.” Asked what criteria he would use in making a determination, Bednar simply responded: “Gut feeling.”
Colorado's first-round series with Dallas is tied at 1.
Landeskog's presence on the ice figured to provide a big boost not only for his teammates but the capacity crowd. His No. 92 sweater is a frequent sight around the arena.
The noise in the building was loud, the energy was electric.
“Everyone is rooting for him. It's a great comeback story,” Bednar said after morning skate. "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.
Stars forward Matt Duchene was teammates with Landeskog and they remain good friends.
“We’ve been rooting for him to come back,” said Duchene, who was the third overall pick by Colorado in 2009. "Obviously, it makes our job harder having a guy like that out there, but on the friends side, the human side and the fellow athlete side, I think everyone’s happy to see the progress he’s made. ... I’m just really happy that he’s gotten to this point.”
It doesn't mean the Stars will take it easy on Landeskog — or him on them.
“It’s remarkable he’s coming back, if he’s coming back, as a friend,” said Rantanen, a 2015 first-round pick by Colorado before being traded in January to Carolina and on to Dallas in March. “As an opponent, obviously, no mercy.”
The 32-year-old Landeskog recently went through a two-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He's practiced with the Avalanche leading up to their opener in the NHL playoffs.
“He's looking good so we'll see where things go,” Makar said said Wednesday before the game. “For him, I know it's going to be a huge night when he does play. It's going to be really exciting for us to have him back in the room and have the captain back.”
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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