“I don’t think people realize how hard it is and how hard that would be, I don’t think I’d be even close to that,” said Colorado Avalanche GM’s special assistant Andrew Cogliano. The former NHL player who had once lifted the Stanley Cup alongside Aves captain Gabriel Landeskog was talking about Landeskog returning to the ice for the first time in three years.

The official NHL page gave us the exact numbers. “It’s been 1,020 days since Gabriel Landeskog last took the ice,” they wrote in the caption ahead of the Stanley Cup winner’s long-anticipated return. The 32-year-old didn’t jump into the fire on his very first game. Instead, he ran a practice lap with the Aves AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Yet, old habits die hard, and Landeskog couldn’t stay away from a scrum on the ice.

With the Eagles one up on the scoreboard, one of the Silver Knights shoved Eagles player Devante Stephens against the glass, causing others to pile up. Yet, just as Knights star Ben Hemmerling intervened, Landeskog pushed the 20-year-old away and put him in a headlock. Hemmerling looked baffled and may even have felt concerned. Thankfully, a referee stepped in to separate him from the much bigger Colorado Avalanche veteran.

“That poor kid just trying to make his way and runs into Gabe Landeskog,” commented one fan. And the fans weren’t the only ones who may have felt a bit concerned about the AHL rookie at the moment. While one official tried his best to separate the two hockey stars, one official screamed at the 32-year-old. “Let him go!” the other official told Gabriel Landeskog while trying to break up the bigger brawl.

Thankfully, the Avalanche captain didn’t have any intentions to turn his scuffle into a flow-blown fight against the NHL rookie. After all, unlike Landeskog, Hemmerling isn’t a season NHL veteran who has been in at least one fight, every season, throughout his career. No wonder, fans were fixated on that moment from the first period.

The Colorado Avalanche star’s eventful return

“Casually throwing some rookie in a headlock,” commented one X user after watching the close-up clip Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano shared. And Ben Hemmerling is indeed a rookie. The young forward made his AHL debut a little over a month ago and scored his first professional point on March 15. As per the NHL website, this was only Hemmerling’s 12th AHL outing.

So it’s not surprising that fans didn’t want Gabriel Landeskog going too hard on the 20-year-old. “My guy, it’s game one! Ease into it a bit,” commented another fan. Besides being concerned about the rookie, the fan was also concerned about the Avalanche star. After all, this AHL match was a “conditioning assignment,” before his NHL return. What’s more? One reckless act might push that date back even further.

That’s because this isn’t the first time the hockey veteran has boarded a player. Last time he wasn’t so lucky. In October 2021, just months before his long hiatus, the Stockholm native picked up a two-game suspension for boarding Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach. Picking up a similar penalty right now is the last thing Landeskog and his fans would want to happen.

That being said, the 32-year-old enjoyed his assignment to the fullest. The headlock, he said with a grin “wasn’t necessarily planned when I woke up this morning,” while speaking to reports after the game as per ESPN. Gabriel Landeskog wasn’t the only one grinning, either. Some fans were super excited to see him back on the ice after three years and immediately got physical.

Some Avalanche fans saw it as a prelude for things to come in the 2024-25 NHL playoffs. “Gabe Landeskog is ready for a #StanleyCup run. Cannot wait for that headlock to be Duchene or Mikko in round 1,” commented one fan. Mikko Rantanen, who was part of the Avs squad that won the Stanley Cup, is now with their rival after moving to the Dallas Stars.

Former Colorado player Matthew David Duchene is also playing with the Dallas Stars. So it’s obvious the fan can’t wait for the spark to fly when the ex-teammates meet on the ice, during the high-stakes contest that is the NHL playoffs. Meanwhile, others were simply amused at what went down and how the referees reacted.

“Laughing at the other angle, watching the ref yelling at Landy to let him go! Sir do you not know who this man is?” one fan asked in the comments. Well, from the looks of it, the officials knew, and so did Ben Hemmerling. Maybe that’s why he didn’t retaliate. The 5’11, 174 lb star has already talked about his physical disadvantage against “bigger and faster,” veterans.

“It’s tough, not only physically but mentally, especially as a 20-year-old in this league,” Hemmerling told the Henderson Silver Knights press. So he made the wise decision not to challenge the 6’1, 215 lbs Avalanche star who never hesitates to drop the gloves. However, Landeskog didn’t try to get into any other fights in the Colorado Eagles’ 41st season win. Now, he’s looking ahead.

“I’m excited about what the future looks like for me,” the 32-year-old told the press. He played a total of 15 minutes during his return to the ice. Avs are yet to divulge any details of their captain’s NHL return. Do you think he’s planning to return during the playoffs? Tell us in the comments.