Gabriel Landeskog wins Masterson Trophy and Messier Award

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog won two major awards in a span of a few minutes on Tuesday afternoon.

During ESPN’s pregame coverage before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final it was announced that Landeskog won both the Mark Messier Leadership Award and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. He’s the first player in NHL history to capture both awards.

It’s two incredible honors for Gabriel Landeskog who was announced as a finalist for the Masterson last month. The Messier Award doesn’t have finalists, but NHL legend Mark Messier declared his pick was Landeskog on live TV. He took nominations from fans, clubs and NHL personnel before selecting a winner.

ESPN then played a portion of the video above, which features superstar Avs players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, as well as doctors and other members of the Landeskog family.

The Masterson Trophy is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey. It’s voted on by the PHWA.

Obviously, Gabriel Landeskog checks all the boxes for what the Masterton Trophy is about.

He persevered through multiple knee surgeries to return for the 2025-26 regular season after missing three straight years. Landeskog came back for five playoff games a season ago, but he was able to play a full year for the first time since 2021-2022.

The Colorado captain missed time with a rib injury and took a puck to the mid-section, but the knee wasn’t a story which is remarkable. His leadership was evident as the Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy and went 8-1 during the opening two rounds of the playoffs before things came crashing down against Vegas.

Gabriel Landeskog is also widely regarded as one of the classiest players in the game and is also clearly dedicated to hockey. Most guys would’ve called it a career, but Landeskog underwent a rare cartilage replacement surgery on his knee and worked relentlessly to get back.

He was one of the Avalanche’s best players in the postseason, scoring six goals and adding five assists, good for 11 points. That tied him third on the team with Devon Toews, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. In 60 regular season games Landeskog had 14 goals and 21 assists.

And the Messier Award is the cherry on top, presented to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season.

It’s an amazing day for Gabriel Landeskog and his loved ones. Both these awards are symbolic of his incredible comeback after three grueling years away from the game.

A salute to the Colorado captain who has cemented himself as an icon in Denver sports history.