JUST IN: Landeskog Addresses Media After Eagles Victory

It’s no longer a matter of if, it’s when — and when was Friday night in Loveland for Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche’s captain played his first professional game with the Colorado Eagles at Blue Arena in front of a sold-out crowd. Although he did not get on the scoreboard, the Eagles won 2-0 against the Henderson Silver Knights.

Landeskog practiced with the Avs on Monday and joined the AHL’s Colorado Eagles for practice on Wednesday. He flew around the ice like he’d been playing all season — an indication of where he was in his recovery and getting close to a return.

Following the Eagles’ victory, Landeskog fielded questions from the media. He spoke about his physical and mental states and his journey getting to this point.

“Feel great, obviously some nerves going into it … warm up, I was trying to figure out where, what did I used to do again, what was my routine? But I was just trying to enjoy it too, right?” Landeskog said. “Get out there and enjoy it, get into the game. Physically, I feel great. Obviously, it’s the first game in a long time, so I got plenty of things to work on and get better at, but it was a lot of fun.”

The 32-year-old forward’s last NHL game was June 26, 2022, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when the Avs hoisted the holy grail. He underwent several procedures to repair his knee but eventually had cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023.

He missed the last two full years and the 2024-25 regular season. In May 2024, he said he’d rejoin the team sometime between “mid-September and start of April. I feel pretty good about it.”

He did not mislead the public, getting his first game action on April 11.