After sustaining a serious injury during the 2021-22 NHL season, Colorado Avalanche star winger Gabriel Landeskog returned to the ice for the first time in 1,032 days on Wednesday night at home.
Landeskog last played in the NHL during his team’s Stanley Cup run, and he finally returned for Game 3 of Colorado’s first-round 2025 NHL playoff game against the Dallas Stars after years of recovery.
The Avalanche captain received a hero’s welcome from the Colorado crowd during his Wednesday return, including an incredibly sweet sign in the crowd held by his two children.
We’re sure of all the cheers for his long-awaited return, the two coming from his kids meant the most to Landeskog.
Your @Avalanche captain, Gabriel Landeskog. 🔊 #StanleyCup
🇺🇸: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnH
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/r1546W9hZg— NHL (@NHL) April 24, 2025
Gabriel Landeskog’s biggest fans 🥹
(via @baileyycurtis) pic.twitter.com/4Syhcwr1fA
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 24, 2025
Gabriel Landeskog is back in the lineup for the first time since 2022‼️
What moment for his family and the Avalanche ❤️ pic.twitter.com/bZb7sgLuTt
— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2025
What a cool way to return to the ice after such a lengthy recovery process for Landeskog.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Gabriel Landeskog’s kids made an awesome sign for his Avalance return