MILAN – Participating in his second Olympic Games, Gabe Landeskog prefers to remain in the here and now.
However, there are moments when the veteran of over 700 NHL games zones out and considers what it took over the last four years of his life to get here. Four separate knee surgeries. Three full NHL regular seasons missed. Genuine doubt he’d ever play the sport he loves again.
Then, just as he was hitting his stride with points in seven of his last 10 full NHL games, Landeskog suffered a rib injury that sidelined him for the Avalanche’s final 14 contests before the Olympic break.
Gabriel Landeskog #92 of Team Sweden skates against Latvia. Getty Images
But here he is, captaining Sweden into a quarterfinal clash with the Americans at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
His second goal of the tournament in a 5-1 win over Latvia gave his country a 2-0 lead just over halfway through the first period.
“I’ve got a silver medal at home and that’s, I guess, something that sits there,” Landeskog said to a small contingent of U.S. reporters Tuesday before Sweden earned a shot at the Americans on Wednesday night, referencing his nation’s second-place finish to Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Sweden’s Gabriel Landeskog, right, shoots the puck against Finland. AP
“Doesn’t mean as much as if it would’ve been a gold medal. I think if it’s a gold medal, I think it’s very different. We all want to win. That’s what we’re bred to do, and we all want to compete against the best in the world. Now, to get an opportunity to do it, I’m sure when career is said and done and I’m off doing something else, I’m sure I’ll sit back and really take in what the journey has been like and those sort of things.
“But right now, I’m just trying to soak in the moment and play my best.”
Landeskog has represented Sweden at the international level since the 2011 World Junior Championships, where he was limited to just one game due to a high ankle sprain. Leadership has been a part of his international legacy as much as his on-ice play, considering he was first named alternate captain of that 2011 team at the age of 18.
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With only gold medals at the World Championship 2013 and 2017, Landeskog is looking to add an Olympic gold to his collection.
Team Sweden, inspired by his comeback, decided to stitch the ‘C’ into his Tre Kronor jersey for the Olympics for the first time.
Head coach Sam Hallam said Landeskog’s journey into the tournament commanded respect from his teammates. While defenseman Victor Hedman, who served as captain at 4 Nations, was also an option, Hallam noted that he “knows what Hedman feels about Gabe.”
“Honestly, it’s such an inspiration for us,” said Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad, who assisted on Landeskog’s first-period score before giving Sweden a 4-1 lead in the third. “You could really tell the difference of him, with his presence being here this year compared to 4 Nations. How he is as a guy, how he is as a teammate – on the ice, off the ice. Really enjoy being able to play alongside of him. I think this is the first time, really. Obviously, known him somehow for a lot of time, but never got to play with him. His impact has been huge so far.”