Historic Dual Award Win
Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog Makes History with Dual NHL Awards After Inspiring Injury Comeback
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Key Points
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Landeskog’s knee problems began after a skate blade cut his right knee during the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble, beginning a long stretch away from full-time action.
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In May 2023, Landeskog underwent cartilage replacement surgery at a time when the procedure “had never been performed on a hockey player,” meaning there was “no clear road map for his recovery.”
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Landeskog underwent four knee surgeries overall—including the cartilage replacement—and he became the first NHL player to return from that specific procedure.
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He said he had no idea he would win the Masterton; his wife helped keep the award “under wraps until the trophy was brought out in a video posted by the NHL,” and Landeskog later described being “just oblivious to the fact of anything.”
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When Landeskog was in the lineup, Colorado went 45-7-8, but when he was out the Avs were 10-9-3—highlighting how much his return affected the team’s results.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog made NHL history in June 2026, becoming the first player ever to win both the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in the same season. NHL.com confirmed the dual honor, which recognized his comeback from a right knee injury that kept him off the ice for nearly three full regular seasons.
Landeskog said he never saw it coming. "I was just oblivious to the fact of anything," he said after his wife helped the NHL keep the Masterton surprise hidden until an official video was posted. The awards cap one of the most remarkable returns in league history — and a medical first.
A Skate Blade Started Three Years of Surgeries
The trouble began in August 2020. During the NHL's bubble playoffs in Edmonton, a skate blade accidentally cut Landeskog's right knee. That wound triggered a chain of damage that never fully healed. According to The Denver Post, he had four surgeries between 2022 and 2025, including a knee cartilage replacement in May 2023.
The May 10, 2023 procedure was performed in Chicago by Dr. Brian Cole. ESPN reported that Cole said there was "no clear road map" for a hockey player recovering from this specific surgery. No NHL player had ever come back from it. Landeskog effectively became the test case — and it worked.
Landeskog Returns and Colorado Becomes Nearly Unbeatable
Landeskog spent a conditioning stint with the AHL's Colorado Eagles in April 2025 and made a brief playoff appearance. Then, in October 2025, he played his first regular-season NHL game in over 1,240 days. He finished the 2025-26 season with 14 goals, 21 assists, and 35 points in 60 games, per Sportsnet.
The numbers behind his return are striking. With Landeskog in the lineup, Colorado went 45-7-8 — an .816 points percentage. Without him, the Avalanche went 10-9-3, just .522. That gap helped Colorado win the Presidents' Trophy with 121 points. Nathan MacKinnon told The Denver Post: "We played well without him because we had to, but we play *right* with him."
What the Two Awards Mean and Why No One Had Won Both
The Masterton Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It goes to the player who best shows perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication. The Messier Award is different — Mark Messier personally picks the winner based on leadership on and off the ice, including community work. According to Clutch Points, no player had ever won both in the same year before Landeskog.
Messier praised Landeskog's "unwavering commitment to the locker room during his years in the wilderness." Off the ice, Landeskog led hospital visits and charity events through Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. Head coach Jared Bednar called him the "moral compass" of the team throughout the 2025-26 season, per The Athletic.
A Championship Run Ended by Vegas, but a Legacy Secured
The Avalanche's season ended in a sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. TSN analysts noted that even with Landeskog back, Colorado lacked the depth to match Vegas's size and speed. The sweep raised questions about whether the team's structure was too dependent on one player's presence.
Still, the broader impact is hard to ignore. Landeskog's success is expected to change how NHL teams treat severe knee injuries. Teams may now consider cartilage replacement surgery sooner, rather than waiting for other procedures to fail. And for the Avalanche, a healthy Landeskog under contract keeps their championship window open deep into the decade.
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