Gabriel Landeskog was handed the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Tuesday—making him the first player to win both in the same season after a long climb back from a serious knee injury.
DENVER — Gabriel Landeskog stepped into the spotlight on Tuesday as Colorado’s captain, and the night didn’t go halfway.
He was presented with two awards in the same ceremony: the Mark Messier Leadership honour and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The 33-year-old forward from Sweden became the first player to win both in the same season, a rare double that carries weight far beyond hardware.
The Masterton Trophy is given to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance. sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” Landeskog’s path to this moment has been defined by the kind of durability the award is meant to recognize—after a serious knee injury sidelined him for stretches and forced him through a painstaking return.
The Messier Award is reserved for 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.” In Denver. that leadership was visible in the details of the night itself. Landeskog celebrated the awards with his wife and young kids. and even his home support had a hand in the moment: his wife helped keep his Masterton win under wraps until the trophy was revealed in a video posted by the NHL.
That knee injury began after a skate blade cut Landeskog’s right knee during the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble. He worked his way back and helped the Avalanche capture the Stanley Cup in 2022. But the final jump wasn’t the end of the fight.
His Cup-winning run also marked his last game for quite a stretch. After missing a full season, Landeskog underwent cartilage replacement surgery on May 10, 2023.
When he returned, it was with the kind of timing that makes you understand why hockey patience matters. Landeskog came back last season for Game 3 of the playoffs against Dallas—his first NHL contest in 1,032 days.
This season, his numbers showed the impact of that return. Landeskog finished with 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. In the playoffs. he added six goals and five assists. though the Avalanche were swept in the Western Conference final by Vegas.
Outside the rink, the work has kept moving. Landeskog remains active in the community. 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 the knee injury was documented in a six-part documentary series titled “A Clean Sheet.”.
The Masterton Trophy has been presented by the NHL Writers’ Association since 1967-68. The Mark Messier Leadership Award debuted in 2006-07. On Tuesday. Landeskog added a line to that history that feels almost impossible to match: two different acknowledgements for the same season. tied together by a story of comeback and responsibility.
Gabriel Landeskog Colorado Avalanche Mark Messier Leadership Award Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy NHL awards knee injury recovery Stanley Cup 2022 Vegas Dallas playoffs Community Ticket Pride A Clean Sheet