Gabriel Landeskog Joins 2025-26 Masterton Trophy Finalists
Gabriel Landeskog is one of three finalists for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, recognition that tracks his return after three full regular seasons away with knee issues. The Colorado Avalanche forward reached the final group alongside Rasmus Dahlin and Jonathan Toews.
Landeskog’s comeback path
The Masterton Trophy goes to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Landeskog’s case is built on a comeback that stretched over years: he played through injury during Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup run, then went through four major procedures, including knee cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023.
He became the first player ever to return to the NHL after having knee cartilage replacement surgery. That alone separates this finalist spot from a standard award nod. It puts his name in a group defined as much by survival through the rehab process as by what he has done once he got back.
Avalanche results with Landeskog
The on-ice numbers sharpen the picture. Colorado went 45-7-8 when Landeskog was in the lineup and 10-9-3 when he was not. That split shows how often his availability changed the Avalanche’s night-to-night outcome, even before the award voting settled on the top three.
Landeskog rejoined the Avalanche during the 2025 playoffs, then hit another setback in January of his first full season back when he broke ribs after crashing into the net. The sequence matters because the finalist list is not just about getting back once; it reflects coming back, taking another hit, and still staying in the conversation for a leaguewide honor.
PHWA vote and finalists
Local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted nominations at the conclusion of the regular season. The top three vote-getters became the finalists, and Landeskog was one of them. Dahlin and Toews filled out the group.
For readers following the Avalanche, the practical takeaway is simple: Landeskog’s return has already been judged against the league’s most durable comeback stories. The final award now sits with a three-man field that includes a player who missed three full regular seasons, came back through major surgery, and was still central enough to Colorado’s results to reach the last round of voting.
