PWHL star Nicole Hensley drops 5-word reaction to Gabriel Landeskog’s Avalanche return after nearly 3-year injury absence

PWHL star Nicole Hensley shared an emotional reaction to Gabriel Landeskog’s NHL return. She posted a video of his entrance on her Instagram story. The video showed the Colorado Avalanche captain skating onto the ice amid loud cheers from fans.

The lights in the arena were dim, and fans had their phone flashlights on. His name and number 92 were displayed on the screen and ice.

“Okay but actually crying rn,” Hensley wrote in her story.

via IG @nichens29

Prior to Landeskog's return on the ice, a video montage was played, which declared his return to the NHL.

"TONIGHT, OUR CAPTAIN RETURNS," the text in the video reads.

Landeskog, who last played an NHL game in June 2022, returned in Game 3 of the playoffs against the Dallas Stars. He spent almost three years recovering from a knee injury. The path to recovery was tough and full of doubts, and he even thought about retiring. But he worked hard and after years he has made it back.

Landeskog played 13:16 minutes but did not score. But he had a neutral plus-rating and led the team with six hits. Speaking to the media, Landeskog said that he was happy to return.

“It’s a very special night, and from my perspective, regardless of the outcome of the game, I mean, that was a memory of a lifetime for me,” Landeskog said, via NHL.com. “It was very special.”

Landeskog started the game alongside Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews. He was standing opposite Mikko Rantanen on the other side; they were teammates before Rantanen was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and then to the Dallas Stars.

Gabriel Landeskog's kids in attendance during his return

Gabriel Landeskog has been married to Melissa Shouldice since 2018. He has two kids, Linnea, 5, and Luke, 4. Both were present in the arena with a sign that said:

“So proud of you daddy!”

Landeskog said he almost got emotional during warmups. He saw his kids smiling and watching him skate.

"When I looked over at them and [saw] their big smiling faces, so it was very special,” Landeskog said. "You know, they were 1 and 2 when I last played, and now they’re 5 and 4, and they’re growing up, and we’ve got another one on the way coming this summer. Yeah, it just puts it in perspective how much time has passed, I guess.”

Gabriel Landeskog will next return for the Avalanche in Game 4 on Saturday.