Gabriel Landeskog and his surgically repaired knee — the one that's caused him to miss nearly three years — take another big step forward by playing in a second straight game for the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League on Saturday night.
The longtime Colorado Avalanche captain Landeskog is on loan to the Eagles as part of a conditioning assignment. He's trying to get up to speed in his bid to possibly join the Avalanche for a playoff run.
The organization announced Landeskog would be in the lineup once again Saturday when the Eagles play the Henderson Silver Knights at Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado. Landeskog logged nearly 15 minutes, took two shots and spent time in the penalty box during the Eagles' 2-0 win Friday in front of a crowd cheering for No. 92.
Before Friday, Landeskog hadn't played in a professional game since he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022 because of a knee injury and subsequent surgeries.
"Physically, I feel great,” Landeskog said Friday of his return. “It’s the first game in a long time so I've got plenty of things to work on and get better at but, yeah, it was a lot of fun.”
Landeskog’s injury stems from the 2020 “bubble” season when he was sliced above the knee by the skate of Cale Makar in a playoff game against Dallas. Landeskog eventually underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.
The procedure was similar to the one performed on Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball in March 2023. Ball returned to the court for a preseason game in October, which hinted at a possible timeline for Landeskog’s return.
Landeskog’s comeback has been the subject of a documentary series called “A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog” that’s airing on TNT and TruTV.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and envisioning this, and envisioning being in a competitive hockey game again,” Landeskog said. “Obviously, there were times where I didn’t know if that was ever going to happen. So it felt great being in the battle again — on the bench, in the room, on the ice, all the nuances of a hockey game. Really fun being back.”
Should all go smooth with his conditioning assignment, the 32-year-old forward from Sweden might very well be activated for Colorado’s first-round playoff series. The Avalanche enter the postseason as the Central Division’s No. 3 seed and will open on the road.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, file)
TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 16, 2026--
SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft developer based in Japan, today announced the commencement of formal familiarization meetings with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260715554861/en/
Familiarization meetings, which are designed to deepen a regulatory authority’s understanding of an aircraft's performance and incorporated technologies, are a critical step in the aircraft type certification process. SkyDrive’s familiarization sessions with the FAA, which will also be attended by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), are expected to include comprehensive and in-depth technical reviews, covering topics including the core aircraft design concept and the specific approaches required for compliance with the FAA’s safety standards.
To prepare for these familiarization sessions, SkyDrive leaders responsible for engineering and certification recently met with the FAA and the JCAB officials on the sidelines of the 2026 FAA-EASA International Aviation Safety Conference, held in Washington D.C. Senior officials attending this preparatory meeting included:
During the preparatory meeting, the attendees discussed how the FAA and the JCAB would work together with SkyDrive to implement an efficient concurrent validation process, as SkyDrive looks to achieve the regulatory compliance required to commercialize their aircraft in multiple markets around the world.
SkyDrive is currently pursuing type certification in both Japan and the United States. The FAA has officially accepted the type certification application, which was submitted in April 2024(*2). Moving forward, SkyDrive will continue to work closely with the civil aviation authorities in Japan and overseas, seeking to progress the development of its aircraft and advance swiftly towards type certification with an absolute priority on safety.
About SkyDrive Inc.
SkyDrive is a Japanese compact eVTOL company aiming “to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution”. The company began testing eVTOL prototypes in 2014 prior to official incorporation in 2018. Under its future vision for urban transportation, flying in eVTOLs will become a regular part of city life. In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to fly a crewed eVTOL in Japan. In 2025, the company successfully showcased the eVTOL "SKYDRIVE", the company’s first eVTOL product, with demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo witnessed by thousands of visitors over a one-month period. SkyDrive began production of “SKYDRIVE” in March 2024 at a plant owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive's official production partner. SkyDrive has been working with civil aviation authorities in Japan and the US to obtain certification for “SKYDRIVE”, with the aim of launching the aircraft into service in 2028. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, and led by CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, an engineer and entrepreneur.
For more information, please visit: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/
Editor’s Note:
(*1) “eVTOL” is an abbreviation for electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing. As the name suggests, eVTOL aircraft can take off and land without a runway. eVTOLs are powered by electricity and incorporate advanced, automatic, flight control technology.
(*2) Related press release https://skydrive.co.jp/en/archives/13054
From left: Kotaro Yamamoto (JITTI) / Hidenori Miyajima (JCAB) / Naoki Amitani (JCAB) / Tetsu Shimizu (JCAB) / Harald Nagler (SkyDrive) / Arnaud Coville (SkyDrive) / Malory Nail (FAA) / Dab Elgas (FAA) / Stephen Burke (FAA) / John Yoo (FAA) / Adrian Hoefer (FAA)
