Gabriel Landeskog is officially headed to the 2026 Winter Olympics - a development that looked far from certain just a few weeks ago. The Colorado Avalanche captain, who’s been out of the lineup since January 4 with an upper-body injury, has made enough progress in his recovery to suit up for Team Sweden when the tournament begins next week.
“The first two weeks I wasn’t very confident at all,” Landeskog admitted. “But once I passed the first two weeks and started making some really steady progress every day. I’m excited to be here, excited that I’m able to go.”
That’s a major sigh of relief for Sweden - and for Avalanche fans, too. Landeskog’s injury initially cast serious doubt on whether he’d be ready in time for international play.
The timeline was tight, and with each passing day, the window to ramp up hockey activity looked smaller. But the veteran winger stayed the course, focused on incremental gains, and gradually turned the corner.
“You want to get healthy. That’s on the front of your mind, and that’s all you think about - just keep making progress,” he said. “And then as you start getting on the ice and you can start ramping things up, your focus shifts a little bit.”
Landeskog had hoped to get back into the Avalanche lineup before the Olympic break, but with only one game remaining on the NHL schedule before players head overseas, that window has closed. He won’t play in Wednesday’s game - a decision that speaks to both caution and confidence. The next time we see him on the ice, it’ll be in Sweden’s colors.
“I was hoping I would be able to come back here and play a few games,” he said. “But now it’s only one game left, and we leave here in a couple days.”
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar is taking it all in stride. He’s thrilled for his captain - not just because Landeskog gets to represent his country, but because the Olympic games offer a unique opportunity to get back into game shape before the NHL season resumes.
“It starts in the room. It carries over onto the bench and on the ice.
He’s an excellent player, so I’m excited for him…” Bednar said. “Number one, I’m excited that he’s going to be able to go and play.
Number two, for him playing those games, he’ll just come back sharp and ready to go for us.”
And that’s the key takeaway here. While the Olympics are a major honor - and a big moment for Landeskog personally - they also serve as a proving ground.
If he can log serious minutes against top-tier competition and come out clean, it’s a win-win. Sweden gets a top-line winger with leadership credentials.
The Avalanche get their captain back with some game reps under his belt.
Landeskog’s return won’t just boost Sweden’s medal hopes. It could be the spark Colorado needs down the stretch.