Gabriel Landeskog

The only thing better than winning the NHL championship? Sharing a big hockey hug with your best friend.

The names of Landeskog and Johnson will be engraved on the Stanley Cup. Together. Best hockey friends. Landeskog was born in Sweden, but he proudly calls Denver his hockey home, because this is where he grew up as a hockey player after joining the Avalanche as a teenager in 2011. “With a concussion, it can be a week for some guys and a month for others. “The demeanor he has, the type of player he is. The heartbeat of this team.” On a star-studded roster, Makar was the man, richly deserving of the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP. Landeskog “might be the most important person in this whole organization,” Johnson said before this championship series began. Between them, Johnson and Landeskog have played 1,509 games, scored 344 goals and contributed 551 assists to the Burgundy and Blue. To be able to hand off that Stanley Cup and watch him skate away with it …” It was worth the wait, because there is no more beautiful dance in sports than the one Landeskog took with a 139-year-old beauty. Sharing the greatest prize in the game. Landeskog handed the Cup to Johnson. Hockey besties.