From Injury to Team Sweden Olympic Captain: Gabriel Landeskog’s Story of Resilience
- Karinna Leonard
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
In 2020, during a freak accident in the playoff bubble, Gabriel Landeskog was injured when his teammate Cale Makar's skate blade sliced his kneecap, causing significant cartilage damage. What followed was a series of surgeries and a determination to return to the game he loved. After the initial injury, Landeskog underwent a minor procedure before returning to the ice and ultimately leading the Colorado Avalanche to hoisting the Stanley Cup in Tampa, Florida, in June of 2022. At the time, it appeared to be a triumphant return, but in reality, it marked the beginning of an even longer absence. The night they won the championship would be the final time Landeskog played in an NHL game until 2025.
Landeskog's injury was uniquely difficult, as the skate blade caused significant cartilage damage to his knee. Sports medicine surgeon Dr. Paul Rothenberg described the complexity of the injury, noting that: "This type of trauma is particularly tricky due to the cartilage’s poor regenerative ability and the high demand placed on the knees in professional hockey...Over the past two years, Landeskog has undergone multiple knee surgeries, with the most recent being a cartilage transplant...Unfortunately, Landeskog has recently faced a setback in his recovery, leaving the prognosis and likelihood of his return to professional hockey still uncertain."
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his recovery, Landeskog refused to allow doubt to dictate the end of his career. While others viewed the injury as a potential closing chapter, his resilience and unwavering belief in himself ensured that his hockey journey would not end prematurely. The forward told reporters in 2023, "Until I've exhausted every option, I'm just going to continue pushing forward...I'm confident in the player I am. I'm confident in the athlete I am."
Last year, in Game Three of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Landeskog returned to the ice after roughly 1,032 days away from NHL action. In doing so, he became just the fifth player in NHL history, among those with a minimum of 700 games played, to return to his team after an absence of 1,000 days or more. Although the Colorado Avalanche ultimately fell to the Dallas Stars in seven games, Landeskog's return marked a powerful and inspirational milestone.
This season, Landeskog’s impact was immediate. He returned to the lineup and led his team to an astounding 37-9-9 start to the year. His importance to the team has been revealed by their performance with and without him. With Landeskog in the lineup, Colorado went 31-2-7. After he sustained an upper-body injury and missed 15 games in January, the Avalanche struggled, posting a 6-7-2 record in his absence.
One of the season’s most frightening moments came on January 4th when Landeskog crashed hard into the goalpost, sending the arena into stunned silence. Anxiety rippled through the building, felt even by the Avalanche’s opponents. Landeskog is a player who has earned deep respect around the league, and the concern was palpable, with no one wanting the incident to involve his knee again.
After the game, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar spoke about the reaction from the opposing Florida Panthers, saying, "It says a lot. I felt that too. No player wants to see another player, regardless of what team they're on or who they're playing for, get seriously hurt. Hopefully it's nothing too serious. A guy like Gabe, they all get to know each other and show us what type of character he is and what type of guy he is and the respect he has around the league."
Teammate and longtime friend Nathan MacKinnon echoed that concern, emphasizing the seriousness of the moment. “When he is down, he’s really hurt so it’s scary stuff. It’s not his knee, I can tell you that. We were all asking. It’s not his knee, which is great. But he was in a whole lot of pain.’’
In his first full season back, Landeskog fought his way onto Sweden's Olympic roster. Years of uncertainty had once threatened to end his career, yet he pulled on the Tre Kronor sweater once more, this time entrusted with the captaincy. His appeal reaches far beyond his play on the ice and lives in his leadership. He is the only Swede in history to have served as captain in the Canadian Junior League, the NHL, and Sweden's Olympic team. Truly in a category of his own, Landeskog is the textbook definition of a leader.
Olympic teammate and Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm promoted that sentiment, saying, "He's such a good leader; you see how well Colorado does this year. Having him around, having him around the locker room, he creates a lot of calmness around the team. He's a great leader and fun to be around, so super excited."
In a moment of sports poetry, Landeskog opened the scoring for Sweden in their first game against Italy. After years of doubt and a tenuous recovery, Sweden's captain had officially proved he was back. With just one second remaining on the power play, Landeskog unleashed a one-timer to tie the game at one.
The goal carried even greater significance, as these Olympics Games mark the first time in 12 years that NHL players are allowed to participate. Landeskog became the first Swedish men's player to score for in the NHL's return to Olympic competition. After the game he reflected on his journey, saying, "There were definitely times I didn't know if I was gonna get to play in the Olympics again or wear this jersey, so it's definitely exciting, and I'm truly just grateful to be here."
Despite not adding to the scoresheet beyond his opening goal, Landeskog has remained a key part of Team Sweden's success, leading through his physical play, poise, and steady presence. This has earned him increased minutes as the tournament has progressed and in Sweden's final preliminary round game against Slovakia, Landeskog logged 17:23 of ice time.
With the preliminary round complete, Sweden will now face Latvia in a qualifying match on Tuesday, with the winner advancing on to face the United States in the quarterfinals. Regardless of how the remainder of the tournament unfolds, Landeskog has already delivered a powerful statement. After years of uncertainty and recovery, he looks comfortable, confident, and fully at home on the ice again.
Edited by: Kelly Cassette