AVS ‘Gabriel Landeskog back for game 3, first NHL campaign in 3 years

Denver-Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has been in a 2-1 loss of overtime against the Dallas Stars in game 3 of her first round in his first NHL game for almost three years on Wednesday evening.

It marked its first NHL appearance since June 26, 2022, when he and the Lawine Tampa Bay defeated to win the Stanley Cup. He had failed because of a chronically injured right knee.

Landeskog started alongside Nathan Mackinnon and Martin Necas. He played a little more than four minutes in the first period and made an immediate impression in game 3 by beating the striker Mikko Rantannen, who used to be a teammate. He had no shots on goal, but ended with a team with six goals in 13:16 Ice Time.

The stars took over a 2-1 series.

“Tonight was great in all areas to be back,” said Landeskog. “Very special night, regardless of the result.”

It was an emotional lead over the game for Landeskog. There were the ovations from the crowd and chants of “Landy, Landy, Landy”. There were signs in the entire arena, including one that of his children on the inscription “So proud of you daddy!” The team also played a video tribute, with Landeskog knocking his heart in recognition.

Landeskog said he felt “blessed and very happy” to be hugged by the crowd.

“I don’t know exactly what my mind and body went through at that time, but it was something very special, and that is a memory for life. Just like that,” said Landeskog. “AVS loyal, they do something special, do you know? It is a special place to play, it is a special place to live and raise a family. And obviously the last three years have sometimes been difficult. And to come back and to feel this love, I mean incredible.

Landeskog said that Rantannen welcomed him again when the two competed for the opening of the opening on Wednesday evening.

“Regardless of what Jersey he wears, I love him. He is a good friend of mine,” said Landeskog after the game about rantons. “But in this series we are obviously not friends when we play. But obviously something very special to be out there.”

It was the first game with the avalanche in 1,032 days. According to NHL statistics, he became the fifth player in the history of the NHL history -among those with at least 700 games to return to his team after 1,000 or more days without a game. The last one who did this was the long -time avalanche striker and the Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg.

“I feel surprisingly calm and under control at the moment. I know that the butterflies and nerves will come, I’m sure,” said Landeskog during an interview before the game. “I have thought a lot about this moment in the past three years. And now that it is here, it is the other way around – I think a lot about the hard work that went into some of the ups, many downs, victims and support that I had on the way.

“Grateful for everyone and all their support, but now it’s time, so I’m excited to get out of there.”

Landeskog’s presence on the ice was not only a big thrust for the amount of capacity.

The noise in the building was loud, the energy was electrical.

“Everyone is rooted for him. It’s a great comeback story,” said AVS coach Jared Bednar after the morning skate. “I trust the preparation and what I see with my own eyes that he is closer and ready to play. I think he feels really good where he is.

“He adds him to our changing room again, he is almost an expansion of the coaching team, but he is still one of the boys and the guy to which everyone looks at. You can’t get this season enough of it.”

The violation of Landeskog dates from the 2019-20 season when he was accidentally cut over his knee in a playoff game against Dallas by skate by teammate Cale Makar. Landeskog was finally subjected to a cartilage transplant process on May 10, 2023 and has a long -term injured reserve.

He was activated in Dallas on Monday before game 2 and ran into Pregame Warmups, but did not play.

Striker Matt Duchene was teammate with a state cog and you remain good friends.

“We thrown it out that he would come back,” said Duchene, who was number 3 from Colorado in 2009. “Obviously, our job makes it more difficult to have such a guy outside, but on the side of friends, on the human side and the fellow human beings.

This does not mean that the stars will make it easy for it – or it – to him.

“It is remarkable that he will come back when he comes back as a friend,” said Rantannen, a selection in the first round of Colorado from 2015 before he was traded in January to Carolina and further to Dallas in March. “Obviously no mercy as an opponent.”

The 32-year-old Landeskog recently went through a two-game conditioning stay with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. He practiced with the avalanche that led to her playoff opener.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.