DENVER — Gabriel Landeskog's right knee feels “really good” two days after his first NHL game in nearly three seasons. No issues whatsoever. His thumbs may soon be a different story. The Colorado Avalanche captain vowed to respond to the more than 130 unread text messages from family, friends and fellow players congratulating him on his comeback.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will make his return to the lineup for Game 3 against the Dallas Stars. Landeskog has not played since the Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup Final after undergoing multiple knee surgeries.

This was his first NHL game in 1,032 days. According to NHL Stats, he became the fifth player to play at least 700 games and return to his team after an absence of 1,000 days or more, following Jim Peplinski (2,000), Mario Lemieux (1,341), Uwe Krupp (1,036) and Peter Forsberg (1,018).