Mark Messier honors Gabriel Landeskog with two major awards
Gabriel Landeskog received the Mark Messier and Bill Masterton awards, and his family was there to surprise him with the Masterton Trophy. The dual honor gives the Avalanche captain a rare recognition of both leadership and perseverance, with his name now attached to two of the sport’s most distinct individual awards.
Gabriel Landeskog and the Masterton Trophy
Landeskog was surprised by family during the presentation, turning the moment into more than a routine trophy handoff. The Masterton recognition came alongside the Mark Messier award, a pairing that puts the Avalanche captain in a small company of players honored for more than production alone.
The awards landed on the same day, giving him two separate acknowledgments for the same stretch of his career. One carries the Mark Messier name, and the other is tied to Bill Masterton; together, they point to the way Landeskog’s season and standing around the league have been viewed beyond the box score.
Mark Messier Award Meaning
The Mark Messier award is one of the clearest signs of leadership value in the sport, and Landeskog’s win ties that reputation directly to his role with the Avalanche. For a captain, that matters in the room as much as it does in public, because this kind of honor reflects how teammates and the league see his influence.
The Masterton award adds a different layer. It is not the sort of trophy built around points or a single hot streak, and the combination with the Mark Messier honor makes this a broader statement about the way Landeskog’s work has been judged. For Colorado, that places one of its most recognizable players in the spotlight for reasons that go beyond nightly results.
Avalanche Recognition
The Avalanche now have a captain recognized on two fronts, and that gives the organization a visible end point for a season or stretch that produced awards at the individual level. Landeskog’s family surprise made the presentation feel personal, but the result itself was the larger takeaway: he took home both the Mark Messier award and the Bill Masterton Trophy.
For readers tracking the Avalanche, the practical takeaway is simple. Landeskog’s profile has risen in a way that is measurable, not symbolic, and his award haul now includes two honors that carry real weight inside the game.
