Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog on Tuesday won the Masterton Trophy for his dedication to hockey, beating out Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews.
Landeskog, 33, underwent four major knee procedures during a three-year absence, including knee cartilage replacement surgery, before returning for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He became the first player to return to the NHL after undergoing cartilage replacement.
Landeskog, who played 60 games this season, earned 509 points and 69 first-place votes. Dahlin registered 399 points and 53 first-place votes. Toews registered 247 points and 25 first-place votes.
In training camp, Dahlin, 26, revealed his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, suffered heart failure during the summer and spent several weeks on life support before undergoing a heart transplant.
Matovac, who joined Dahlin in Buffalo late in the season, later revealed in an Instagram post their baby’s due date would’ve been Jan. 26. Her worries about their unborn child forced her to see a doctor, and her life-threatening condition was discovered.
With the support of the organization, Dahlin led the Sabres to an Atlantic Division title and a long-awaited berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, ending their NHL-record 14-year drought.
Dahlin was also a finalist for the Norris Trophy, finishing third.
Toews, 38, returned to the NHL this season after several health issues forced him to sit out two years.