The Colorado Avalanche’s leader overcame immense challenges over the past four years. Gabriel Landeskog went from raising the Stanley Cup to questioning whether he could ever play hockey again. He never wavered despite uncertainty, pushing through challenges. In the end, the Swede missed 246 games as he worked to get back to his team. That exemplifies perseverance.

Mark Messier Leadership Award

The Mark Messier Leadership Award goes “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.”

According to former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, Messier is the one who chooses the recipient. Landeskog excelled over rivals this season, securing first place. The Avalanche missed Landeskog’s leadership over the past three seasons. With his return, Colorado had the best record in franchise history, pushing the team to the Conference Finals. His leadership was apparent with the younger players, and his patience on the ice leaked over to his teammates.

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”


The award is voted on by members of the PHWA and awarded to the one with the most votes. Landeskog has documented the story over the last three years himself in a docuseries as well as in countless interviews. He missed three full seasons after having cartilage transplant surgery on his right knee. After several setbacks, he is the only player in NHL history to return to full action after such surgery. This past season did not have its bumps either, as he missed 12 games from two unrelated injuries. He still played in 60 regular-season games while racking up 14 goals and 21 assists.

To most fans of the Colorado Avalanche, Landeskog winning either of these awards is not much of a surprise. But to do it in the same year, it really is.