Gabriel Landeskog to Have Department of Player Safety Hearing

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for boarding Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach.

Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog will have a hearing for Boarding Chicago’s Kirby Dach.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 14, 2021

Gabriel Landeskog Receives Department of Player Safety Hearing

At one point during the game, Dach had the puck, but dropped to a knee in order to dump the puck into the offensive zone. During this point in time, Landeskog took several strides before rushing at Dach, knocking him into the boards while on the ground. The hit resulted in a double-minor for Landeskog — one for roughing, and one for boarding. Dach appears to be fine, but the nature of the hit could have resulted in a very serious injury.

Landeskog has been suspended multiple times in the past. The manner of this hit will likely result in yet another under his belt. Given his history, it’s safe to assume Landeskog will be out for several games.

Here’s the Landeskog hit on Dach pic.twitter.com/7Y7nyEaTuo

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) October 14, 2021

What This Means for the Team

The Avalanche are offensively stacked. Still, losing a guy like Landeskog hurts the team. He’s the captain and the glue that holds the team together. As of right now, the terms of his hearing have yet to be released. There’s no telling how long he could be out. Having said that, any amount of time without a top-line forward is a significant blow. Colorado will need to rely on another forward to take his place until he’s able to resume his duties.

The Avalanche are chasing the Stanley Cup this year. They’ll need all of their players on their A-game. Landeskog’s move here has the potential to set them back, should the team get off on the wrong foot.

Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images