In Other Words: Gabriel Landeskog
Whether it’s Patrik Andersson, Yannick Weber, Mikkel Boedker, Jakub Kindl, or Boris Valabi… the Kitchener Rangers have been no stranger to European players. The most recent over-seas influence on the roster comes from Stockholm, Sweden and sports number 92 on his back as an ode to his birth year.
As a 6-foot 1 and 207 pound gritty right-winger, Gabriel Landeskog has left his mark in North America and will forever be recognized as the first European-born captain in Rangers’ history. Quite an accomplishment for a young Swede, although Gabriel confesses, there isn’t much difference between Canadian and Swedish culture.
“It’s not that different,” he said. “Well, I guess we don’t really listen to country music back home.”
“Jag har hört vissa människor säger Sverige är fem år framåt i mode,” he added with a smirk. Translation: “I’ve heard some people say Sweden is five years ahead in fashion.”
Forget about the music and fashion though, as Kitchener’s “kapten” - as they say in Sweden - Gabriel has played a large role in keeping his team among the top in the Western Conference this season. His physicality, toughness, and shear desire have endeared him to Rangers’ fans. Not to mention, his off-ice qualities as well.
Gabriel is finishing up his final year at high school and is at the top of his class - his grades actually surpass the majority of his teammates, who have English as their native language. So when he’s not at the rink, it’s likely you’ll find Gabe with a book in hand. “It’s not about the bike” by Lance Armstrong would be his favourite, to be specific.
Landeskog’s hockey route has been a unique one. At the tender age of 16, he made the decision to leave his family and friends back home. In a first step towards pursuing his NHL dreams, Gabriel seized the opportunity to suit up in the Ontario Hockey League and become accustomed to a North American lifestyle.
“I think European players coming over to play junior hockey is a good thing,” said Landeskog. “It makes us develop at a young age and molds us into tougher players.”
“Tough” is an adjective not often acquainted with players of European descent, but Gabriel believes times are changing.
“I don’t think it’s something people really think about anymore,” he said. “With players like Mats Sundin or Peter Forsberg, there are a lot of tough guys in the NHL that come from Europe.”
Despite living a Canadian lifestyle, Gabriel is proud of his Swedish roots and doesn’t hesitate to take a valiant stance behind his heritage. His favourite colours are blue and yellow – “gå Sverige! … Go Sweden! – and his most memorable hockey team of all time is the 2006 Swedish Olympic squad that captured gold.
Landeskog is the youngest player in Swedish history to play for Djurgarden and is among the youngest to have ever played in the Swedish Elite League. Although he only reported to three games, Gabriel still recorded a point playing as a 15 year old amongst the top talent in his country.
Over the holidays, Landeskog added yet another line to add to his already impressive resume when he was named to the 2011 U-20 Swedish national team. The IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York marked his fourth appearance representing Team Sweden at the international level. He has also played for his country’s U-16, U-17, and U-18 teams.
On each of these squads, Gabriel has worn a letter on his jersey. At the U-16, U-17, and U-18 tournaments he was named a team captain. This year, at the U-20’s he was named an alternate captain with Adam Larsson at the helm.
Things took an unexpected turn for Gabe though. After playing in a set of exhibition games and only one preliminary match-up, he suffered an ankle injury. His two-point game (one goal, one assist) against Norway had him on pace for a stellar WJC performance.
“It was frustrating,” said Landeskog. “I obviously really wanted to play but somewhere along the line I had to listen to the better judgment of my dad and my agent.”
In front of a near capacity crowd on the Maple Leafs’ home ice at the Air Canada Center, Gabriel played for one of his largest audiences to date when Canada faced Sweden in pre-tournament action.
“It was something special for sure,” he said. “I’ve never played in a game like that before.”
“You can’t really compare it to the Swedish Elite League. The crowd isn’t nearly as loud or as passionate for their country or their team. [The SEL] is pretty big in Sweden, but after having seen this, it’s a couple levels above for sure.”
Sweden – who finished at the top of the standings in their group – ended up finishing the tournament in fourth place. Team USA defeated the squad to earn the bronze medal, leaving Sweden empty handed for the fist time since 2006. Following preliminary play however, Sweden was ranked above Russia and Canada – the eventual gold and silver medalists.
“It’s more disappointing than anything,” said Landeskog. “We were aware that we could have been in the gold medal game and that we were good enough to be, but sometimes it just works out that way.”
Gabriel remains positive despite the set back and sees his injury as just a minor bump in the road towards his future.
“This is a pretty big season for me this year,” said the 18 year old, who is eligible for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft in June. “And obviously for the Rangers too.”
With his hard work and winning attitude, Gabriel has been a hot topic for scouts and reporters, and continues to be talked about as at least a top five draft pick. If Gabe’s lucky enough, he’ll have the chance to suit up for his favourite NHL team one day - the Detroit Red Wings. And if he’s even luckier, he’ll get to visit home soon to get a taste of what he misses most - “Min mammas svenska köttbullar,” he said. “My mom’s Swedish meatballs.”
