Avalanche's Landeskog in lineup for Game 3 after 3-year NHL absence
Gabriel Landeskog is back.
The Colorado Avalanche captain suited up for Game 3 against the Dallas Stars in Denver on Wednesday night for his first NHL game in nearly three years - a span of 1,032 days, per the NHL.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said prior to the contest that there was "a good chance" Landeskog would play, according to Altitude Sports Radio's Conor McGahey.
Landeskog last played in an NHL game in Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, where he raised the Cup after the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He underwent knee cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023 - a procedure no NHL player has successfully returned from. The knee surgery was his third in a 15-month span.
The 32-year-old recently suited up in two games with the AHL's Colorado Eagles while on a conditioning stint, recording a goal and an assist.
Colorado activated Landeskog off injured reserve on Monday. He participated in warmups ahead of Game 2 but was ultimately scratched.
Landeskog registered 30 goals and 29 assists in 51 games during the 2021-22 regular season. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound power forward was a force during Colorado's Cup run that spring, notching 22 points in 20 playoff games.