Avalanche’s Gabe Landeksog Nominated For ESPY Award

The Avalanche’s captain is going to the ESPY’s after being nominated for an Award.

Gabe Landeskog, who returned during the playoffs in April following a nearly three-year absence, was nominated for the “Best Comeback Athlete” category on Tuesday. Voting for the ESPY’s is now open, and the event will air next Wednesday, July 16, at 6 p.m. MT on ABC.

The ESPY Awards, short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, is an annual American awards show produced by ESPN that recognizes individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance.

They typically honor achievements from the previous year. This year’s show will honor professional athletic performances dating back to July 2024.

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Landeskog’s return in Game 3 against the Dallas Stars was his first game since June 26, 2022. He missed the entire 2022-23 regular season trying to recover from a knee issue. Following Colorado’s elimination that year, Landeskog opted for knee cartilage replacement and a lengthy 12-16 month recovery timeline. He missed the entire 2023-24 regular season and playoffs.

Landeskog reached 16 months early in the 2024-25 regular season but struggled with a few setbacks. As the season started to wind down, the 32-year-old began to skate more with the team before being sent to the AHL for a conditioning assignment.

He was activated from long-term injury reserve and added to the active roster ahead of Game 2 and made his long-awaited return in Game 3 at Ball Arena. Landeskog had a goal and three assists in five games, and played upwards of 18 minutes per night on the second line and top power-play unit in Games 5-7.

Along with Landeskog, Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, who was raised in Colorado, is among the other nominees for “Best Comeback Athlete.”