Gabriel Landeskog suffered an upper-body injury in the second period of the Colorado Avalanche’s matchup against the Florida Panthers on Sunday.
“He’s going to miss some time. He’s still getting looked at and diagnosed, but did not look comfortable. So, he’s going to miss some time, for sure,” head coach Jared Bednar said after the 2-1 loss to the Panthers.
The Avs captain was skating into the offensive zone and lost an edge on the left skate. He crashed into the net post, injuring what appeared to be his midsection.
Gabriel Landeskog needed assistance leaving the ice after crashing hard into the post. pic.twitter.com/3PeGwYxuKz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 4, 2026
The captain was helped off the ice by head trainer Matt Sokolowski and teammate Nathan MacKinnon. He was unable to skate on his own and was moving slowly and gingerly down the tunnel with help.
Landeskog’s knee is the primary concern, but it seems that his ribs took the brunt of the collision. Marc Moser and Mark Rycroft announced the official injury on Altitude Sports coverage at the beginning of the third period, stating that he would not return to the game.
“No player wants to see another player, regardless of what team they’re on or who they’re playing for, get seriously hurt, and hopefully it’s nothing too serious,” Bednar said. “A guy like Gabe, they all get to know each other, and shows the type of character he is and what type of guy he is, and the respect he has around the league, and we appreciate that. And, yeah, just hoping for a speedy recovery for him.”
Bednar had to shift players around with a shortened bench. Gavin Brindley, who returned from injury on Sunday, was added to the power play. The rookie will likely get more ice time as well.
The Avalanche are missing Devon Toews after he went hard into the boards the night before against the Carolina Hurricanes. Mackenzie Blackwood is out with a lower-body injury, and Joel Kiviranta remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Landeskog has 22 points in 40 games with an average of 16-plus minutes of ice time in his first full season since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. He made an epic comeback after missing three seasons due to a knee injury that required several surgeries and extensive recovery.
The 33-year-old forward is a crucial key to the team’s success on and off the ice. His return has been credited to the team’s positive attitude, strong belief and determination.
Follow @ferpuckssake on the X platform for the latest information on his status.