Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has found a high-tech solution to manage his recovery from a serious knee injury that kept him off the ice for three years. The hockey star now relies on tiny sensors placed in his skate insoles during games and practices, and even wears them in his regular shoes while walking his dog.
These devices track every aspect of his movement, creating detailed biomechanical profiles that helped guide his return to professional hockey. The technology monitors everything from his stride patterns to whether he’s putting too much pressure on his surgically repaired right knee.
The system analyzes his workload during games and practices, examining how his feet interact with different surfaces and calculating when he might be approaching his physical limits. This data helps prevent him from pushing too hard during training, which could cause setbacks lasting days or weeks.
“This detects any red flags before I even feel them,” said Landeskog, whose team trails Vegas 3-0 in a Western Conference Final in which he has two of the Avalanche’s six goals. “It’s been super important for me, and a huge help.”
The technology comes from Plantiga, an artificial intelligence company that develops movement analysis platforms for professional athletes. Their system is currently being used by players and teams across the NBA, NFL, WNBA and MLB, as well as college programs, elite runners, recreational athletes, and NHL players like Landeskog.
“What we’re trying to detect is the smoke before the fire,” explained Matthew Jordan, the vice president of performance science at Plantiga as well as an associate professor, faculty of kinesiology/sport medicine center, at the University of Calgary. “Imagine you’re at the point where your knee is just at the cusp of the next day it’s going to be like, ‘My knee’s killing me. I can hardly walk.’ We can see in the data before you reach that tipping point.”
Landeskog’s knee problems started when a skate blade sliced his right knee during the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble. Despite the injury, he continued playing and contributed to the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup championship in 2022 when they defeated Tampa Bay.
However, that Cup-winning game marked the beginning of a long absence from hockey. Following a missed season, Landeskog had cartilage replacement surgery on May 10, 2023.
In spring 2024, Landeskog was introduced to Plantiga, the Vancouver-based human analytics company founded by Quin Sandler and his late father, Norman McKay. The company was created to monitor athlete movement using wearable technology placed inside shoes.
Landeskog connected with the Plantiga team through strength and conditioning coach Marcin Goszczynski. The 33-year-old player met with Jordan during a game when the Avalanche visited Calgary.
“We discussed his injury and his frustration with the process,” Jordan recounted. “You have to remember at this point the tunnel was dark and long — there was no light … we were miles from the end of the tunnel.”
Jordan introduced Landeskog to a Canadian ski racer who had overcome a similar injury.
“It was a relief for Gabe to know that another athlete out there had been able to conquer this injury,” Jordan said. “Has among the best mindsets, and he is 100% resilient and gritty to the core.”
Using “Norman,” the movement analysis system named after Sandler’s father, potential changes in Landeskog’s movement patterns are identified before they can become problematic.
“We’re trying to put really good data (together) that him and his trainer will use,” Sandler said. “There’s this fine Goldilocks zone that we help him stay in, and honestly he’s been killing it.”
Landeskog made his return last season during Game 3 of the playoffs against Dallas, marking his first NHL appearance in approximately 1,032 days. His comeback continued this season with 14 goals and 21 assists across 60 regular-season games.
During the season, Jordan monitors Landeskog’s skating technique remotely. He sometimes identifies moments that require closer examination when the data shows readings outside the Swedish forward’s typical range.
“Essentially, put out the ‘smoke’ before it turns into a ‘fire,’” Jordan explained. “In an athlete’s world, a fire can mean a new injury, a reinjury to the tissue, a loss of performance or a setback in rehab.”
While similar in concept to health-tracking devices like the Oura Ring, Plantiga uses laboratory-quality sensors that capture 400 data points every second.
This means an athlete’s movement can be measured with 20-to-30 times more precision than typical smartphones or smartwatches.
“A supercharged human movement measuring device,” Jordan said.
Establishing baseline measurements for Landeskog’s walking pattern and body mechanics involved his dogs, the late Zoey and current pet Mila, who enthusiastically joined these data-gathering walks.
“We can see subtle things in your walk patterns well before it manifests as something very clinical or significant,” Jordan said.
The information eliminated uncertainty from Landeskog’s training routine.
“He’d get on the ice and be like, ‘Oh, I feel good today.’” Jordan said. “It’s like, ‘I think I’m just going to go hard. I feel like my knee feels really good. Oh (no), I went too far. My knee’s flared up. I’ve got to take a week off.’ With all these setbacks he couldn’t catch any progression.”
Now, when the data suggests he should rest, he follows that guidance. He’s a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.
“I’m humbled and honored by it, but I think for me, the ultimate prize I’ve already won,” Landeskog said. “That’s to continue working and getting to play hockey.”
