Avs Captain Gabriel Landeskog Puts Guy In Headlock In First Pro Hockey Game In Three Years

It's crazy to think that it has been almost three years since Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog last played in a pro hockey game.

That changed on Friday night when Landeskog hit the ice for the first game of his conditioning stint with the Avs' AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, when they took on the Vegas Golden Knights's top affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.

Landeskog last played back in 2022 and helped the Avalanche win their third Stanley Cup in franchise history but has been battling a knee injury that required multiple surgeries ever since.

The 32-year-old has skated with the Avalanche, but the team announced that he'd finally see game action this week in his first ever American Hockey League games.

Landeskog got the nod to start the game and took his first shift in three years.

The Avs captain ended the game with no points, two shots, and two penalty minutes that came by way of a hooking call about halfway through the first period.

But it had to feel good to get back out there, and I think there was certainly a part of Landeskog that missed the rough stuff because, as soon as an opportunity presented itself, he put one of the Silver Knights in a serious headlock.

The Eagles won this one 2-0, and afterward you could tell how much this big step in his recovery meant to Landeskog as he thanked his teammates and family who came out for the game.

According to Sporsnet, Landeskog will be in the Eagles lineup again on Saturday for a rematch with the Silver Knights.

While a lot can happen when a player is coming back from such a serious, prolonged absence, there are already rumblings that if his time with the Eagles goes well, Landeskog could be in the Avalanche lineup for Game 1 of their opening-round series, which will be against the Dallas Stars.