DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was presented with not one, but two awards on Tuesday, earning the Mark Messier Leadership honour and the Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The 33-year-old forward from Sweden becomes the first player to win both in the same season. It's been a long road back to the rink for Landeskog in his return from a serious knee injury.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
The Messier Award goes to the player who demonstrates “great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey."
Landeskog celebrated the awards with his wife and young kids. His wife helped keep him winning the Masterton under wraps until the trophy was brought out in a video posted by the NHL.
Landeskog’s knee issues began after a skate blade cut his right knee during the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble. He worked his way through it and helped the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title in 2022.
The Cup clincher, though, was his final game for quite a stretch. After missing a full season, Landeskog underwent cartilage replacement surgery on May 10, 2023.
He made it back last season for Game 3 of the playoffs against Dallas, which was his first NHL contest in 1,032 days.
This season, he had 14 goals and 21 assists over 60 regular-season games. Colorado went 45-7-8 with him in the lineup and 10-9-3 when he was out.
He added six goals and five assists in the playoffs before the Avalanche were swept in the Western Conference final by Vegas.
Landeskog remains active in the community, too, taking part in Kroenke Sports and Entertainment’s (KSE) Charity Brunch and leading the team’s annual hospital visit. He also hosts several local foundations through the team's “Community Ticket Pride” program.
His recovery from his knee injury was covered in a six-part documentary series titled “A Clean Sheet.”
The Masterton Trophy, which is presented by the NHL Writers’ Association, was first awarded in 1967-68. The Mark Messier Leadership Award made its debut in 2006-07.
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press
