Gabriel Landeskog had a decent setup at his offseason home in Toronto, Ontario, where he had spent most of the past three months while the NHL was on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Landeskog could use his home gym to train, was able to read plenty of books and was even able to begin skating again while shooting on a young, local goaltender, all while being with his wife, infant daughter and in-laws.
But skating with his Colorado Avalanche teammates, even if only a few of them are allowed on the ice at one time and with no coaches present, was enough of a draw for the nine-year veteran to return to Denver to participate in Phase 2 of the NHL's Return to Play Plan.
"I wanted to make sure I got back here, and even if it is five or six guys on the ice at a time, it's still NHL quality--the drills and we're working on certain things. That was one of the reasons," Landeskog said. "I wanted to get back here and make sure that I'm ready and this was one of the best possible scenarios in my opinion to make sure that I am ready. I didn't want to skate in Toronto on my own the whole time.
"The other part of it is I love Denver; this has been my home for the last nine years."
As soon as the NHL and NHL Players' Association announced the Return to Play Plan on May 26 and the transition to the next phase which allowed voluntary, small-group sessions to take place for each team, it got Landeskog eager to return to the practice ice and hopefully play games later this summer.
Landeskog Focuses on Being Ready for When Games Return
Avalanche captain taking part in Phase 2 skates at Pepsi Center
© Colorado Avalanche
© Colorado Avalanche