DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon spent some time on the ice Tuesday sliding pucks over to his old friend and longtime captain Gabriel Landeskog for shots on goal.
It's a possible prelude of things to come.
Landeskog rejoined the Colorado Avalanche following his two game minor-league rehab assignment. He just might be on the verge of making a return to the NHL — in the playoffs, no less — for the first time since helping the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup in late June 2022.
“It doesn’t leave,” MacKinnon said of Landeskog's skill set. “He’s Gabe Landeskog at the end of the day. There’s going to be some rust — three years is a crazy amount of time off. ... I think he looks great. Game situations, you can still see those instincts are there. He’s still got it, for sure.”
The Swedish standout could be activated as soon as the end of the regular season to play this weekend in Game 1 of the Avalanche’s first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars. Landeskog has been nearly a point-a-game player in six playoff runs with the Avalanche.
To get back up to speed, the 32-year-old Landeskog spent time this weekend on a conditioning loan to the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He played back-to-back games for the Eagles in his latest step toward a return from a knee injury that has led to a couple of surgeries and caused him to miss the past three regular seasons.
Landeskog got stronger and stronger with every shift over the weekend. He took some hits and dished them out as well, even putting a player in a headlock. He also scored a goal by redirecting a puck while standing in front of the net on a power play.
Just a gritty Landeskog sort of performance.
“He’s in a good spot,” MacKinnon said. “Hopefully, he keeps progressing, and we’ll have him back here this weekend.”
MacKinnon, defenseman Cale Makar and several other players made the trek to Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, on Friday to catch a glimpse of their teammate.
“It’s insane that you’re coming back three years without even playing a single game,” Makar said. “There’s going to be some rust and kinks to work out. All you can hope for is that he’s feeling good and kind of move from there.”
Landeskog told reporters after Saturday’s game his knee feels “really good.” He also added: “Not anywhere near where I want it to be, but I think it’s a good step in the right direction.”
There remains no definitive timetable for Landeskog's path going forward. Colorado coach Jared Bednar has a few days to sort out his playoff roster.
“Number one, it’s exciting that he’s back and playing. I’m really happy for him. I know it's been a long road,” Bednar said. “Number two, I think it’s exciting for us because it may give us another option here, when we get to the weekend and start playing playoff games. We'll see how he responds this week and see how it all goes. But to have another player of his caliber possibly being ready to go is only a positive one from my mind.”
His return could be a major boost for Colorado, especially given the difficult path through the Western Conference. This is Landeskog’s 13th season as a captain, with only Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin serving as leaders of their current teams for a longer span.
“(Leadership) has to play a small role. But the decision has to be mainly on what he can do for us on the ice,” Bednar explained. “I do think you have to take everything into account when you talk about putting him in the lineup.”
Landeskog’s injury dates back to the 2020 “bubble” season when he was accidentally sliced above the knee by the skate of Makar in a playoff game against Dallas. Landeskog eventually underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.
The procedure was similar to the one performed on Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball in March 2023. Ball returned to the court for a preseason game in October, which hinted at a possible timeline for Landeskog’s return.
Landeskog’s comeback was chronicled in a documentary series called “A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog.”
“I wanted to show the human side of it, the tough times,” Landeskog explained. "It’s real. It’s raw. It’s vulnerable.”
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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FILE - Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, file)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) skates during the second period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top United Nations court on Friday wraps a week of hearings on what Israel must do to ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Last year, the U.N. General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion on Israel’s legal obligations after the country effectively banned the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider of aid to Gaza, from operating.
Experts say the case could have broader ramifications for the United Nations and its missions worldwide.
The hearings are taking place as the humanitarian aid system in Gaza is nearing collapse and ceasefire efforts remain deadlocked. Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies since March 2. It renewed its bombardment on March 18, breaking a ceasefire, and seized large parts of the territory, saying it aims to push Hamas to release more hostages.
Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas and did not attend the hearing. The country did provide a 38-page written submission for the court to consider.
The hearings focused on provision of aid to the Palestinians, but the U.N. court's 15 judges could use their advisory opinion to give legal guidance on the powers of the world body.
“The court has the opportunity to clarify and address questions about the legal immunities of the United Nations,” Mike Becker, an expert on international human rights law at Trinity College Dublin, told The Associated Press.
Advisory opinions issued by the U.N. court are described as “nonbinding” as there are no direct penalties attached to ignoring them. However, the treaty that covers the protections that countries must give to United Nations personnel says that disputes should be resolved through an advisory opinion at the ICJ and the opinion “shall be accepted as decisive by the parties.”
“The oddity of this particular process,” Becker said, “is a clear response to any argument that the opinion is nonbinding.”
The resolution, sponsored by Norway, seeks the ICJ’s guidance on “obligations of Israel … in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations … to ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.” The United States, Israel’s closest ally, voted against it.
Israel’s ban on the agency, known as UNRWA, which provides aid to Gaza, came into effect in January. The organization has faced increased criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who claim the group is deeply infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA rejects that claim.
“We cannot let states pick and choose where the U.N. is going to do its work. This advisory opinion is a very important opportunity to reinforce that,” Becker said.
Whatever the judges decide will have an impact beyond the current situation in Gaza, according to Juliette McIntyre, an expert on international law at the University of South Australia. “Are these immunities absolute or is there wiggle room? This is useful for where United Nations personnel are working in other places,” McIntyre told AP.
An authoritative answer from the World Court can have influence beyond judicial proceedings as well. “Every time a norm is breached, the norm gets weaker. The advisory opinion in this case could push the norm back,” said McIntyre.
In separate proceedings last year, the court issued an unprecedented and sweeping condemnation of Israel’s rule over the occupied Palestinian territories, finding Israel’s presence unlawful and calling for it to end. The ICJ said Israel had no right to sovereignty in the territories, was violating international laws against acquiring territory by force and was impeding Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
According to McIntyre, the arguments presented this week reflect the opinion handed down just nine months ago. “Now the starting premise is that Israel is illegally occupying all of Palestine,” McIntyre said.
On Monday, the Palestinian delegation accused Israel of breaching international law in the occupied territories and applauded the move to bring more proceedings to the court. “Our journey with the international institutions, be it Security Council, the General Assembly or the ICJ, is we are building things block on top of another block while we are marching towards the accomplishment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including our right to self-determination, statehood, and the right of the refugees,” Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters.
Israel has denied it is in violation of international law and said the proceedings are biased. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hit back at the case during a news conference in Jerusalem on Monday. “I accuse UNRWA, I accuse the U.N., I accuse the secretary-general and I accuse all those that weaponized international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world, Israel, of its most basic right to defend itself,” he said.
The court is expected to take months to deliver its opinion.
—— Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague contributed to this report.
A Palestinian flag flies outside the International Court of Justice, rear, which opened hearings into a United Nations request for an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to allow humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
