Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog responds to fan calling on him to retire
A fan took to social media to demand that Gabriel Landeskog retire, and the Avalanche captain fired right back at the fan, gaining lots of support.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has started to catch wind of the chirping about his career. With a pair of surgeries to his knees and over a year removed from the NHL, questions have begun about if he will ever return. The latest of those questions came via a comment on social media that suggested he hang up his skates. Landeskog made sure to respond pretty fast, hinting that he was not about to hang up the skates anytime soon.
The exchange went down earlier this week, and man, Landeskog's response received infinitely more attention than the remark by this fan. It was one of those interactions that showed he's very serious about continuing to play hockey despite everything that has gone wrong since he helped lead the Avalanche to their 2022 Stanley Cup victory. He's a tough man because back in May of 2023, he had a cartilage transplant and continues to work his way back. When it comes to Landeskog, the question isn't "if" he'll return, but "when."
While it might be easy to appreciate the competitive spirit and passion with which Landeskog responded, one might question whether this was the best play for a team leader. In professional sports, athletes have long been taught to let comments like those slide; that's just part of the territory. After all, the internet is full of noise, and it might be better for Landeskog to save his energy for the ice rather than responding to every doubter.
That said, we get why some Avalanche fans are getting restless. Of course, early-season struggles, Colorado's 0-4 start being the most glaring example, have added fuel to the fire. But with two recent wins bringing the team record to 2-4, there's reason for optimism. The Avalanche roster is also expected to be boosted soon by the likes of key players such as Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, Jonathan Drouin, and Devon Toews. Over the due course of time, Landeskog could prove to be the missing link for their revival.
One thing remains for sure: Gabriel Landeskog isn't retiring anytime soon. He is committed to making sure he returns to the NHL and doing whatever it takes to help his team. His response on social media the other day was just a reminder that he's far from ready to give up the game he loves.
