DALLAS -- The Colorado Avalanche activated captain Gabriel Landeskog off injured reserve, but again delayed his much-anticipated return when he was scratched from playing Game 2 of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars on Monday night.
Landeskog, who hasn't played in nearly three years, was the first Avalanche skater to take the ice for pregame warmups after being activated earlier in the day. But when the roster report was released after that, he was a scratch.
"Gabe wanted to like get a groove and take warmup tonight, get in the room and like be part of it, so that's why I did that," coach Jared Bednar said after the Avalanche lost 4-3 in overtime.
It has been more than 1,000 days since the 32-year-old forward last played for the Avalanche on June 26, 2022, when they beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 6 to clinch the Stanley Cup.
The series switches to Denver for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
A chronic right knee injury that led to two surgeries kept him off the ice through multiple attempts to get back.
Landeskog did a two-game conditioning stint with the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles earlier this month to take another step forward in the process. He had practiced with the Avalanche leading up to their opener in the NHL playoffs.
Having Landeskog could be boost for the Avalanche, who won the series opener 5-1 against the short-handed Stars. Dallas is without top defenseman Miro Heiskanen after his knee surgery and leading goal-scorer Jason Robertson, who was injured in the final game of the regular season.
