{"id":447515,"date":"2026-02-05T18:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/447515\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T18:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:55:24","slug":"gabe-landeskog-talks-excitement-preparation-for-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/447515\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabe Landeskog Talks Excitement, Preparation for Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Precisely one month after Gabe Landeskog was injured in Florida, the Avalanche\u2019s captain recalled the injury and admitted he thought he wouldn\u2019t be back in time to represent Team Sweden in the Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s no longer the case. Ahead of Colorado\u2019s last game before the break, Landeskog met with the media to confirm he\u2019s feeling confident and ready to represent his nation.<\/p>\n

Landeskog, 33, has been skating with the Avs for a couple of weeks. He has made enough progress that head coach Jared Bednar said the captain likely would\u2019ve dressed in a game if Colorado had one more to play before the break.<\/p>\n

The rehab started to progress halfway through January. Before that, it felt grim.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first two weeks, I wasn\u2019t very confident at all, but once I kind of passed the first two weeks, started making some really steady progress, kind of overnight, really every day,\u201d Landeskog said on Wednesday. \u201cI\u2019m excited to be here, excited that I\u2019m able to go and represent my country. It\u2019s a huge honor. So I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Landeskog will captain Team Sweden, although that hasn\u2019t yet been officially announced. He expects to be in the lineup for Sweden\u2019s first game on Feb. 11. It sounds like the injury is behind him, along with the stress of dealing with another ailment after being out for three years following knee cartilage replacement surgery.<\/p>\n

This injury had nothing to do with the knee. It was an upper-body injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty evident what body part was injured in that crash,\u201d Landeskog said. \u201cBut yeah, nonetheless, I\u2019m doing well.<\/p>\n

\u201cExciting to be able to do the things you want to do, and you love doing and not be held back by anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Landeskog was part of Team Sweden in 2014, the last time NHL players participated in the Winter Olympics. He and his teammates lost to Team Canada and his Avalanche teammate at the time Matt Duchene in the Gold Medal Game.<\/p>\n

If Landeskog makes it that far again, and if it\u2019s Canada on the other side, he\u2019ll be going up against three of his longtime teammates, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews.<\/p>\n

Czechia will have Martin Necas, Team USA will have Brock Nelson, and Finland will also have Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta. Between those five countries, you\u2019re probably looking at the three teams who might walk away with a medal.<\/p>\n

Playing against a fellow Avalanche teammate could very well be a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think maybe it\u2019s awkward for the first shift, and then you move on,\u201d Landeskog said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to spend the first four or five days with our teams, our countries, and our new teammates, for the next few weeks. So it doesn\u2019t take too long to get familiarized with that, and the fact that you\u2019re in a new locker room, new environment, new group of guys, you forget pretty quickly about the love you have for these guys in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bringing home Gold for Sweden is the only goal on his mind. Landeskog was 13 years old when Sweden, led by former Avalanche great Peter Forsberg and other legends such as Daniel Alfredsson, Matts Sundin, and Nick Lidstrom won gold.<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, that was also in Italy. It was the second time Sweden won the tournament. The first time they did it, in 1994, Landeskog was just a year old.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a kid, I have fond memories of watching 2006 in Torino and Team Sweden beating Finland in the finals,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, those are some really fond memories of mine, and I was too young in 94. So having the opportunity to do that for your country and create memories for new generations of hockey players, and really, athletes, is exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n


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