A fan recently told the injured Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog that he should consider retirement, to which the forward fired right back at the fan.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has started to pay attention to the noise about his future. Having not played a single game in the NHL since the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, there's some speculation from fans if the forward will ever step foot on the ice again. One fan took it a step further and insinuated he should retire, and Landeskog made sure to respond directly to that fan via social media. And despite ongoing rumors and a lengthy absence due to multiple knee surgeries, including a cartilage transplant in May 2023, Landeskog isn't shying away from the conversation.
In the exchange, Landeskog's response received infinitely more attention than the fan's original comment, indicating that a lot of supporters are still very much in his corner. The fact that he clapped back at all speaks volumes to his confidence that he'll be able to play again and help the Avalanche. Earlier this year, he said it's a question of 'when, not if' he returns to the NHL. In other words, his message was: he's not done yet.
But the fact that Landeskog even bothered responding to negativity raises some eyebrows. If he's a top NHL team captain, is this really how he wants to handle online negativity? There's always the argument that public figures, most of all, team leaders, should just let those types of comments go. The internet is full of opinions, and often the best way to handle them is to ignore them. But for Landeskog, this may be his opportunity to prove himself and shut up some of the doubters.
Still, Avalanche captain Landeskog would be naive not to realize that many fans are getting antsy, some of them, anyway. A rough 0-4 start did little to allay any concerns. The team's horrible start has done little to reassure anxious minds, but a couple of recent wins have straightened out their record to some degree. The Avalanche faithful have been waiting to see their team whole for some time now, and the absence of Landeskog remains a big part of that. Help is on the horizon, though, as several key teammates are close to returning to action, which should help the Avalanche get back on track.
Gabriel Landeskog has made it clear that retirement isn't on his mind. In fact, his response to the fan was not just a defense of his current situation but a statement of intent. He still believes he has more to give, and he's not ready to walk away from the game just yet.
