LOVELAND, Colo. — The color of the sweater was correct, but the setting was exceedingly unfamiliar.
Gabriel Landeskog stepped onto the ice with the Colorado Eagles at Loveland's Blue Arena to raucous applause — the appropriate response when a professional athlete returns to game action after nearly three years (1,020 days). Landeskog last played in a hockey game on June 26th, 2022, when the Colorado Avalanche lifted the Stanley Cup for the first time in 21 years.
Wearing his traditional number 92 in the untraditional patterns of the Eagles, Landeskog showed that being a captain traverses time, space, and venue.
Landeskog was in the starting lineup and helmed the number one power play unit early in the first period. In the name of ticking boxes, he returned to the penalty box in the first, as well, on a 2:00 minor. The Blue Arena PA announcer used that moment of “undivided attention” to urge the fans to properly welcome Landeskog to Eagles Country.
"It was awesome," said Landeskog after the game. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, envisioning being in a competitive hockey game again. Obviously, there were times where I didn't know if that was ever going to happen. It felt great being in the battle again."
- Watch the captain's full postgame press conference in the video player below
In addition to the sold-out crowd, Landeskog had a few special fans in attendance. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and several other members of the Avs who weren’t joining the team on their final road trip of the regular season ventured up Interstate 25 to support their friend and teammate.
"It takes months to get ready for a regular season as a regular player," said Andrew Cogliano, who's working as a special assistant to Avs GM Chris MacFarland but once upon a time hoisted the Stanley Cup alongside Landeskog. "It's pretty impressive just seeing the first period. As the game went on, I could see him getting more comfortable. I don't think people realize how hard it is and how hard that would be, I don't think I'd be even close to that."
Landeskog didn't earn a point in the Eagles' 2-0 win over the Henderson Silver Knights, but he certainly contributed to their 41st win of the season — the most since the Eagles franchise moved over to the AHL.
