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Landeskog excited about being back in Denver, for chance at Stanley Cup |
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Rick Sadowski
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Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog spoke during a Zoom session with media members Tuesday about his return to Denver, to discuss the NHL Return to Play Plan and for what he hopes will be a serious run at the Stanley Cup.
“I got excited,” he said. “There was some positive news for the first time in a long time … I’m participating in Phase 2, which was really exciting being back at the Pepsi Center (on Monday) for the first time since March 11. That was awesome.
“I know it’s weird circumstances with a lot of protocols to follow, but it is what it is this year and the world is a crazy place right now. For me, my attitude’s always been to make the best of the situation, and that’s what we’re trying to do. I’m taking it day by day and making the most of it.
“I don’t know what I really had expected (with) Return to Play, what this phase was going to be like. I think I just sort of … at any point getting back to a somewhat normal life would be exciting, and it’s good to be back in Denver.”
The on- and off-ice workouts for Phase 2 are voluntary, no more than six players can be present at the same time, and coaches aren’t permitted on the ice, rules to help keep everyone as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Landeskog, Nathan Mackinnon, Philipp Grubauer, Ian Cole, Nazem Kadri and Joonas Donskoi were on the ice Monday.
“I skated a few times in the Toronto area and was able to get ice and find a younger goalie to work with and get out there and feel the puck and skate around a little bit,” Landeskog said. “I wanted to make sure I got back here, even though it’s 5-6 guys at a time. It’s still NHL quality. That was one of the reasons I wanted to get back here, to make sure I’m ready.”
As for the playoff format, which includes qualifying rounds, Landeskog said it will be “weird, different.”
The top four teams in the Western and the Eastern Conferences, based on points percentages, will play three games against each other within their conference to determine the top four seeds for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Teams ranked fifth through 12th in each conference will play a best-of-five playoff round: Nos. 5 vs. Nos. 12, Nos. 6 vs. Nos. 11, etc. The teams that advance to the actual playoffs will play the top four seeds in best-of-seven series; the remaining rounds also will be best-of-seven.
Denver is not among the 10 cities being considered for two hub sites – one in each conference -- where the games will be played.
“The league and the (NHL Players Association) were trying to make the best of the situation,” Landeskog said. “I said early on that we’re not going to achieve fairness; it’s just not going to happen. I think it’s as good as it’s going to get. The world feels at times like it’s turned upside down right now, so everything else is different. Why would the NHL and the Stanley Cup playoffs be normal?”
Having been off for three months, will it be difficult to regain the momentum the Avalanche had when the season was put on hold March 12? They were two points behind St. Louis for first place in the West and Central Division at the time.
“It’s going to be like a new season,” Landeskog said. “Everybody starts from scratch having been off for three months and staying in shape as good as you can. We’ll have this training camp (starting July 10 if all goes well) that will allow us to come back together to work on our systems, get the rust off. It levels the playing field. All teams are going to be healthy for the most part and now it’s just a matter of who’s going to get off and running the fastest. I like our chances, we’re still a pretty young team and we’re an exciting group. It should be fun.”
Several significant Avalanche players – MacKinnon, Grubauer, Kadri and Mikko Rantanen among them – were injured when the league hit the pause button. All are healthy now.
“It does benefit us to have this time off and allowing the guys that were hurt to recover and get back to full strength,” Landeskog said.
The league is planning to play games without fans in an attempt to keep everyone safe, another unique experience.
“I’m sure it will be weird at the start, but once we get to elimination games (or) third periods, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing a scrimmage in practice and the next goal wins, it gets pretty heated,” Landeskog said.
Landeskog also addressed the current racial climate and protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 while in police custody.
The Hennepin County medical examiner concluded his death was a homicide. Police officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds, has since been fired and charged with murder.
“It’s about time the racism stops,” Landeskog said. “I’m sure it’s a long road there, but I’m glad this conversation is being had and I think it’s important. It’s a tough topic to speak about, whether you’re black or white, but I do think everybody needs to make sure they have an open heart on this matter and listens. Some people say that just saying you’re going to listen is a follower-type of move, but in my opinion, it’s step 1 to understanding.”
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