Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was voted as the NHL player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and he was awarded for his leadership.
Colorado Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landeskog is the 2025-26 winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy and Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
The Masterton Trophy is awarded to the NHLer who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award goes to the player who best exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team on and off the ice and plays a leading role in growing hockey in his community.
Landeskog played his first regular-season games since the 2021-22 campaign this year. He had 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 60 games this season.
Before that, Landeskog missed three full regular seasons with knee issues, undergoing four major procedures, including knee cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023. He became the first player to return to the NHL after undergoing that type of surgery when he appeared in the 2025 playoffs for the Avalanche.
This season, Landeskog missed time after crashing into the net in January and suffering broken ribs. But like with his knee issues, Landeskog came back.
Teammates, family and doctors sent Landeskog videos of how proud they are of his rehabilitation journey. After Landeskog watched those videos, his wife, Melissa, and their three children surprised him with the Masterton Trophy.
The two other finalists of the trophy are Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets. Each of the Professional Hockey Writers Association chapters submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy as well.
The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, however, is decided on by Messier himself.
Landeskog has been the captain of the Avalanche since Sept. 4, 2012, when he was 19 years and 286 days old. Since then, he's helped the Avalanche become perennial Stanley Cup contenders, winning it all in 2022. Landeskog is the second Swedish-born player to lead a team to the Stanley Cup, following Nicklas Lidstrom.
Off the ice, Landeskog has donated game tickets and street hockey equipment while supporting local organizations in efforts to grow youth participation in hockey. He's also focused on anti-bullying efforts, such as Friends Colorado and You Can Play.
Landeskog previously won the Calder Trophy in 2011-12. Now, he has some more hardware to recognize his significant achievements.
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