The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the organization has signed the captain Gabriel Landeskog an eight-year contract until the 2028/29 season.
The 28-year-old Landeskog completed his tenth NHL season in 2020/21, his ninth as captain of the Avalanche. Only Joe Sakic (16 consecutive seasons, 17 total) served as the captain of the franchise for any length of time. Landeskog’s nine-year run as captain is the fifth-longest run among current NHL players, behind Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (14 seasons), Chicago’s Jonathan Toews (13), Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (12) and Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf (11). Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux is tied with Landeskog in nine seasons.
The Stockholm native led the 2020-21 Avalanche as captain to the Presidents’ Trophy and Honda West Division Championship. Landeskog, who was the youngest captain in NHL history at 19 years and 286 days on September 4, 2012, has taken the Avalanche to four straight playoff spots, the third-longest series of postseason appearances in the history of the franchise.
Video: Gabriel Landeskog Season highlights 2020-21
“We are delighted that our captain has signed a long-term contract. Gabe is the heart and soul of this team and an integral part of our organization both on the ice and in the community,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President / General Manager Joe Sakic. “He’s the consummate leader, a great teammate, and alongside (Nathan) MacKinnon and (Mikko) Rantanen, he’s one of the best lines in the NHL for the past four seasons. We’re excited to have Landy in an Avalanche sweater for years to come. “
Landeskog is the second overall selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and has scored 218 goals and 294 assists for 512 points in 687 regular season games. He ranks sixth on the all-time franchise list for goals, seventh for games, eighth for points, and eleventh for assists. His 38 game-winning goals rank sixth in the franchise annals, while his 61 power play goals rank seventh.
Since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995, Landeskog’s 218 goals are only Sakic (391) and Milan Hejduk (375) the most in an Avalanche sweater. He is fifth in points and fourth in games played, power play numbers, and game win markers in Colorado history.
Only Nikita Kucherov has more goals (221) and points (547) among the 2011 draft class, while only Sean Couturier (692) has appeared in more games.
Video: LAK @ COL: Landeskog scores 20th goal of the season with backhand
In the shortened 2020-21 season, Landeskog took second place in goals (20 draws) and third in points (52). It was his eighth 20-goal season of his career, the third most by an Avalanche player since the franchise moved behind Hejduk and Sakic (both 11). Landeskog led the club and finished third in the NHL with eight game-winning goals. He also got the team on every step in hits (81), power play goals (9 draws) and pass percentage (56.6). His 56.6 pass rate ranked 10th in the NHL and was the highest of any winger in 2020-21. He scored his 200th NHL goal against St. Louis on January 15 and his 500th NHL point on April 11 in Anaheim. Landeskog added 13 points (4g / 9a) in 10 playoff games, finishing third in the club.
The 6-foot-1,215-pound forward has competed in 49 career Stanley Cup playoff games with a total of 45 points (16 g / 29a). He led Colorado in points (seven) and goals (four) in the 2018 playoffs and achieved a high point in his playoff career in the 2020 postseason with 13 points (2g / 11a) in 14 competitions.
Landeskog won the 2012 Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in the NHL. He was the third Swedish-born player to win the calder after Peter Forsberg (1994-95 with Quebec) and Daniel Alfredsson (1995-96 with Ottawa) and was called up to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He finished first among the rookies with 52 points (22g / 30a) while appearing in all 82 games that year. Landeskog, who received the rookie scoring title due to more goals, took second place among the players of the first year on goals and third in assists. He was the second NHL rookie to ever surpass 20 goals and 200 hits in a season, joining Dion Phaneuf with Calgary in 2005-06.
Landeskog was selected for his first NHL All-Star Game in 2018/19, a year in which he set career highs in points (75), goals (34) and assists (41). He was only the second left winger in avalanche history to hit the 30-goal mark, and in 1995/96 he joined Valeri Kamensky (38). He led the team and finished second in the NHL with nine game-winning goals.
Video: COL @ WPG: Landeskog achieves top position with backhander
In 2017-18, he led the Avalanche to a 47-point turnaround, the fourth highest in NHL history, while in 2013-14 he led the Avs to 52 wins and the franchise’s first league title in 2002-03 .
At the international level, Landeskog represented Sweden at the 2014 Olympic Games, the 2016 Ice Hockey World Championship, four IIHF World Championships (2012, 2013, 2017, 2019), the 2011 IIHF Junior World Championship and the 2009 IIHF U18 World Championship He won a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships in 2013 and 2017 and helped his country win a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Prior to his professional career, Landeskog played two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League. He was the Rangers captain in 2010-11, making it the first European captain in the franchise’s 48-year history. He was also the youngest player in 30 years to be named captain of the Rangers when he took on the role on October 24, 2010 at the age of 17. Despite an ankle injury that shortened his 2010/11 season to 53 games, Landeskog Kitchener led with 36 goals and was third of the team with 66 points.
Landeskog was appointed to the OHL All-Rookie Team in 2009/10 after finishing third among the league’s rookies with 46 points (24g / 22a) in 61 games with Kitchener. Before Landeskog came to North America, he made his debut with Djurgarden in the Swedish elite league in 2008/09 at the age of 16 years and 90 days, making him the youngest player in the club’s history.
Off the ice, Landeskog was Colorado’s candidate for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (leadership and humanitarian contribution) for six consecutive seasons from 2014-15 through 2019-20. He serves as a group ambassador for Friends, a global anti-bullying initiative based in Stockholm. He became the face of a unique initiative when he participated in the You Can Play Project, which featured a video by Landeskog that the Colorado High School Activities Association was using as a prelude to a nationwide initiative that brought diversity and inclusion into every locker room and everyone Student brings activity in Colorado. His many charitable efforts include helping the NHL and Avalanche host a sled hockey exhibition game between the Warrior Avs (comprised of military veterans) and the 2015 national champion of Colorado Avalanche on the sled hockey team at Coors Field on Aug. February 2016 to join. #Landeskoging “T-shirts after the 2011/12 season, in which the proceeds of every t-shirt sold were donated to the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation.
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