DENVER — When Gabe Landeskog crashed into the goalpost early in the second period of a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on January 4, he thought his dreams of representing his country once again in the Olympic Games was over.

The situation has since evolved.

The 33-year-old Landeskog has been back on the ice with the Avalanche for several weeks, and his recovery progressed to the point where head coach Jared Bednar said the captain likely would have dressed had Colorado played another game before the break. While fans grew anxious during the long road back, Landeskog admitted he shared those same doubts—wondering at times whether he’d be able to answer the opening bell at all.

"I guess a part of me was (concerned), too," he stated. "I think it's pretty evident what body part was injured in that crash, but nonetheless, I'm doing well.

"The first two weeks, I wasn’t very confident at all, but once I kind of passed the first two weeks, started making some really steady progress, kind of overnight, really every day,” Landeskog said on Wednesday. “I’m excited to be here, excited that I’m able to go and represent my country. It’s a huge honor. So I’m excited.”

Landeskog last appeared at the Olympic Games in 2014, the most recent tournament to include full NHL participation, helping Team Sweden earn a silver medal. His most recent international appearance came at the 2017 World Championships, where he played a key role in Sweden’s gold medal run.

"It's exciting to just feel good," he continued. "Exciting to be able to do the things you want to do, and you love doing and not be held back by anything, so that's exciting for sure. Olympics are around the corner, exciting time for sure."

While the Olympians won’t be getting a break, Landeskog believes the three-week pause is well-deserved for his Avalanche teammates. Colorado heads into the break on a high after a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, but it’s been a tough stretch overall. Since January 1, the team has won just seven of 16 games—a sharp contrast to the 31-2-7 pace they set through their first 40 contests.

"Normally you head into a bye week, this is going to be a lot longer," Landeskog explained. "It'll be a good break, a good reset for a lot of guys. Obviously there's a handful of us that are going over there to compete, so should be fun."

The Avalanche will have an impressive presence at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina, sending eight players—the most of any NHL team—across five national teams. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews will represent Team Canada, while Brock Nelson takes the ice for Team USA. Landeskog will lead Sweden as captain, and Finland will feature both Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta. Rounding out the contingent, Martin Necas will compete for Team Czechia.