Still a teenager, Gabriel Landeskog has been named captain of the Colorado Avalanche, the club announced today.
Landeskog, 19, will take the ‘C’ from Milan Hejduk, who the club says relinquished his role.
From the release:
According to available research, at 19 years, 286 days, Landeskog is the youngest captain in NHL history. He is 11 days younger than Sidney Crosby, who was 19 years, 297 days when he was named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 31, 2007.
Landeskog becomes just the fourth captain in Colorado Avalanche history, joining Joe Sakic, Adam Foote and Hejduk. The Stockholm, Sweden native is the 11th captain in the history of the Avalanche/Nordiques franchise and only the third European-born, following Hejduk and Peter Stastny.
Hejduk, 36, will remain an assistant captain, along with 26-year-old Paul Stastny (once considered by many as the future captain of the Avs).
Landeskog was the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2011-12 and has earned praise for his maturity on and off the ice.
“To me, he’s a little more mature than his years and he’s got a solid work ethic,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said in March. “He approaches every game like a true professional; like a guy who’s been in the league five or six years.”
