The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) has announced its nominations for each of the 32 teams represented for the Bill Masterton Trophy. The award is awarded annually to the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game.” Each team nominates one player, and the three players who receive the most votes are deemed finalists and will be named later and awarded the other major awards (Hart, Norris, Vezina) later in the spring. For the Colorado Avalanche, the PWHA has voted for Gabriel Landeskog. This is what the PWHA had to say [https://www.thephwa.com/2026/04/08/phwa-announces-2026-masterton-trophy-nominees/] about him and his impact on the game: "Gabe Landeskog missed three full regular seasons with knee issues after playing through injury during the 2022 Stanley Cup run. He had four major procedures done, including knee cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023. He became the first player ever to return to the NHL after having that procedure done when he re-joined the Avalanche during the 2025 playoffs. If his comeback wasn’t remarkable enough, his first full season back has included broken ribs after crashing into the net in January and then, in his own words, he “took a 96 miles-per-hour slapshot to the nuts” from Cale Makar. Landeskog needed surgery but only missed seven games. His reputation as one of the best leaders in sports has been buttressed this season, helping the Avalanche to the best record in the NHL. As of March 25, Colorado is 38-4-7 when Landeskog is in the lineup and 9-9-3 when he is not. It has been a roller coaster of a season for Landeskog, from starting cold to heating up, only to be hit with a setback, which has really been the motto for this season. Right as he is finally getting a good stretch of games where he is producing points and helping the team win, some little injury goes his way and keeps him out of the lineup week-to-week, which has really defined the Avalanche season as a whole, just never able to get a stretch of games with the whole team healthy. Landeskog speaks to the media on December 2. Take his groin injury, for example. From February 25 to March 6, he recorded two goals and five assists for seven points in six games, helping the team go 5-1-0. Then, in his own words, he "took a 96 miles-per-hour slapshot to the nuts" from Cale Makar that kept him out for three weeks. Bednar Tries Not to Laugh Explaining Landeskog’s Injury [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0fbe45ca-656b-4a7d-9439-a075c8aa6752.jpeg] Bednar Tries Not to Laugh Explaining Landeskog’s Injury It's what we all thought it was. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/bednar-tries-not-to-laugh-explaining-landeskog-s-injury] The most important stat of all, which really emphasizes his importance to the team, is that when he is not in the lineup, the Avalanche are 9-9-3; when he is, they are 38-4-7. While he might not score the most goals or make the prettiest of passes, there is no other impact player like Landeskog on this Avalanche team, which validates him as a top candidate for this year's Masterton Trophy. Avalanche Clinch Central Division With 3–1 Win Over Blues, Lock Up No. 1 Seed in West [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7428d4dd-2b17-46a1-b51b-4cc0ffece650.jpeg] Avalanche Clinch Central Division With 3–1 Win Over Blues, Lock Up No. 1 Seed in West The Colorado Avalanche clinched the Central Division and the Western Conference’s top seed with a 3–1 win over the St. Louis Blues, powered by Valeri Nichushkin’s two-goal performance and setting up a first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Kings if the standings hold. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/live-updates-avs-vs-blues]
