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)
LONDON (AP) — Leeds threw away a two-goal lead in second-half injury time and had a double scare in extra time before going on to beat West Ham in a penalty shootout on Sunday and reach the FA Cup semifinals for the first time since 1987.
Mateus Fernandes and Axel Disasi struck in the 93rd and 96th minutes as West Ham leveled the score at 2-2 at London Stadium and forced extra time — where two goals for West Ham were chalked off for offside — before Leeds won the quarterfinal shootout 4-2. West Ham debutant Finlay Herrick saved a penalty from Joel Piroe but Leeds eventually prevailed with Pascal Struijk scoring the winning penalty.
“At least I’m old enough that I was already born when there was the last semifinal for Leeds United in the FA Cup in the '80s," Leeds manager Daniel Farke said. “It was a crazy game."
The thousands of West Ham fans who had left early were trying, and failing, to get back in when Taty Castellanos thought he had put the Hammers ahead in the opening seconds of extra time after a bad error from Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri, only for VAR to rule Castellanos offside.
Then Jarrod Bowen crashed a shot against the crossbar, with Pablo offside when he rolled in the rebound.
The 20-year-old Herrick came on as a replacement for Alphonse Areola, who left the field to receive treatment with five minutes of extra time remaining.
Ao Tanaka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's penalty had previously built a 2-0 lead for Leeds in a classic FA Cup game between two relegation-threatened teams in the Premier League.
Leeds will play Chelsea in the semifinals in a repeat of the 1970 FA Cup final, which Chelsea won after a replay.
Manchester City and second-tier Southampton meet in the other semifinal match with games to be played April 25-26 at Wembley.
The draw was held after Leeds’ victory.
West Ham averted some controversy after it backed down on a decision, reportedly taken by the safety officer before the match, that a penalty shootout would not be taken in front of the end housing 9,000 Leeds fans because of “safety concerns.”
As it was, the coin toss went West Ham’s way.
Farke said: “You could imagine what I think about such a situation."
Stoppage time, extra time and the shootout were played in front of a half-empty stadium after the exodus of home fans.
“What I saw on the pitch was more important than anything,” West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said.
“What I saw was a group of players, a group of boys that didn’t give up. This is the major lesson that we have to take from today.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke celebrates after the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between West Ham United and Leeds United, in London, Sunday April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Leeds United goalkeeper Lucas Perri celebrates saving West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen penalty in the shoot-out during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between West Ham United and Leeds United, in London, Sunday April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola goes down injured before being replaced by substitute goalkeeper Finlay Herrick in extra-time during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between West Ham United and Leeds United, in London, Sunday April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen, right, and Leeds United's Ethan Ampadu in action during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between West Ham United and Leeds United in London, Sunday April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates scoring their side's second goal from a penalty during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between West Ham United and Leeds United in London, Sunday April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
West Ham United's Axel Disasi, center right, scores their side's second goal during their English FA Cup, quarter-final soccer match against Leeds United in London, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, third right, and teammates celebrate in the penalty shoot-out during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between West Ham United and Leeds United, in London, Sunday April 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
