Victor Hedman


Victor Erik Olof Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman and captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. Hedman was selected second overall by the Lightning in the 2009 NHL entry draft and made his NHL debut that year.
Widely considered at one time to be one of the best defencemen in the NHL, Hedman is a six-time James Norris Memorial Trophy finalist, winning the award in 2018. Hedman won the Stanley Cup back-to-back with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in 2020.

Playing career

Modo Hockey

Hedman began his junior ice hockey career in the Swedish J20 SuperElit with the Modo Hockey organization. He recorded 25 points in 34 games during his first full season in the league in 2006-07. Hedman then turned professional and joined the Elitserien with Modo at age 16. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, he was ranked first overall amongst all draft-eligible skaters in the International Scouting Services' preliminary rankings. In the same season, he was nominated as the SHL Rookie of the Year. Following his performance at the 2009 World Junior Championships for Sweden, Hedman was listed atop the rankings of European skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Despite the unlikelihood of Hedman playing in Russia, he was drafted 83rd overall by the Kontinental Hockey League 's Spartak Moscow on 1 June 2009.
Going into the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Hedman was listed as the second-ranked player and top European player. He was drafted second overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, behind John Tavares, who was drafted first overall by the New York Islanders.
Hedman has drawn comparisons to Hart Trophy-winning defenceman Chris Pronger, who is also 6' 6" and 220 pounds, as well as also being drafted second overall.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2009–present)

Early years in Tampa (2009–2013)

Hedman made his NHL debut for the Lightning on 3 October 2009, against the Atlanta Thrashers. He registered his first point, an assist, on a Martin St. Louis goal. On 5 November, Hedman suffered a concussion in a 3–2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators after being on the receiving end of a hit from Senators' defenceman and enforcer Chris Neil, resulting in him missing the following game two days later against the Montreal Canadiens before returning for the game five days after against Los Angeles Kings. His first NHL goal was then scored on 5 December against Dwayne Roloson of the New York Islanders. The 2009–10 season, his rookie season, ended with Hedman playing 74 games with four goals, 16 assists and 20 points.
On 5 January 2011, halfway into his sophomore NHL season in 2010–11, Hedman checked Pittsburgh Penguins centre and captain Sidney Crosby from behind, receiving a minor boarding penalty. The hit was one of two that were eventually blamed for causing a severe concussion on Crosby that kept him out of play for the rest of the season and most of the 2011–12 season. After ending the 2010–11 season with three goals, 23 assists and 26 points in 79 games and helped the Lightning clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2007, Hedman made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on 13 April 2011 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. On 15 April in Game 2, Hedman recorded his first career playoff assist and point on a goal by Eric Brewer. Hedman and the Lightning would make a surprisingly deep playoff run throughout the 2011 playoffs as they would eventually defeat the fourth-seeded Penguins in seven games and then sweep the top-seeded Washington Capitals in four games in the second round before getting defeated by the third-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games, one win short from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.
On 29 November 2011, shortly into the 2011–12 season, Hedman signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension with Tampa Bay. On 27 December, Hedman suffered a concussion in a 5–1 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, resulting in him missing the next 13 games. Hedman ultimaely ended the season with five goals and 18 assists for 23 points in 61 games.
On 25 September 2012, it was announced that Hedman signed a contract with Barys Astana of the KHL during the 2012–13 NHL lockout. In January 2013, Hedman returned to the NHL after lockout ended, playing 44 games of the shortened 48-game season and registering four goals, 16 assists and 20 points.

Rising star amongst defenceman, Norris Trophy win (2013–2019)

During the 2013–14 season, Hedman had a breakout season, posting a career best in goals, assists and points in 75 contests played as the Lightning as a team finished third in the East, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. His 42 assists led the team in that statistic. In Game 4 in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs on 22 April 2014, Hedman scored his first career playoff goal on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. The sixth-seeded Canadiens would eventually win the game 4–3 against the Lightning to complete the four game sweep.
Hedman picked up right where he left off to start the 2014–15 season. However, his strong start would be derailed after he suffered a broken finger in a game against the Vancouver Canucks on 18 October 2014, which was expected to rule him out of play for four-to-six weeks. At the time of this injury, Hedman was tied for the lead amongst NHL defencemen with seven points and was considered a possible James Norris Memorial Trophy candidate for Defenceman of the Year entering into the season. Despite this injury, Hedman still had a productive season with the Lightning, scoring 10 goals, 28 assists and 38 points in 59 games played. After Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks on 6 June 2015, Hedman had recorded two points with two assists on goals by Cédric Paquette and Jason Garrison to secure the spot as the point leader by a Lightning defencemen in a single playoff year, with 1 goal, 11 assists and 12 points up that point in the 2015 playoffs. On 8 June, during Game 3 of the Finals, Hedman recorded assists on goals by Ryan Callahan and Cédric Paquette to set the Lightning franchise record for most career playoff assists and points by a defenceman, surpassing Dan Boyle, who previously held the record with three goals and 19 assists. The Lightning would eventually lose the series to the Blackhawks in six games and Hedman finished the playoffs with a goal and 13 assists for 14 points in all 26 games.
On 15 October 2015, in a 5–3 loss to the Dallas Stars, Hedman suffered a concussion after being on the receiving end of a hit by Stars' forward and captain Jamie Benn, causing him to miss the next game two days later against the Buffalo Sabres and returning to the lineup in the game after, three days later against the Nashville Predators. He eventually finished the 2015–16 season with 10 goals and a team-leading 37 assists for 47 points in 78 games played. On 20 May 2016, Hedman recorded two assists in a 4–3 Lightning win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2016 playoffs on goals by Ryan Callahan and Jonathan Drouin, respectively. The two assists moved Hedman past Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards for number two all-time in playoff assists with the franchise. In Game 6 on 24 May, Hedman played his 64th career playoff game to become the leader in playoff games played for the Lightning. He surpassed former teammates Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, who were tied for the most playoff games played in franchise history beforehand. The Lightning would eventually fall in seven games to the Penguins in the third round of the playoffs by losing Game 7 2–1 for a 4–3 defeat in the series, one win short from a second consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.
On 1 July 2016, the Lightning re-signed Hedman to an eight-year contract extension worth $7.875 million per season. In the previous season, Hedman led all Lightning defencemen in goals, assists, points and plus-minus. He also led all Lightning skaters in assists, plus-minus, average ice time, takeaways and blocked shots. He also posted a career-high with a plus-21 rating. Hedman currently ranks third all-time in franchise history among defencemen in career points, behind Dan Boyle and Pavel Kubina. He is also second all-time among defencemen in assists and fourth for goals. Hedman ranks third all-time among Lightning defencemen for games played, trailing only Pavel Kubina and Cory Sarich. In addition, Hedman is the Bolts' all-time playoff leader for points, goals, assists and plus-minus among defencemen. On 26 October, Hedman recorded his 50th career NHL goal. The goal came in a 7–3 Lightning victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. On 5 November, Hedman recorded his 187th assist on a Brian Boyle goal, which tied him with Dan Boyle for most career assists by a Lightning defenceman. The assist came in a 4–1 Lightning victory over the visiting New Jersey Devils. On 10 November, Hedman recorded his 188th career assist on a goal by Nikita Kucherov against the New York Islanders which is the most assists by a defenceman in Lightning history. Hedman is now seventh in franchise history in assists. On 14 November, Hedman recorded his 189th assist, which tied with Brian Bradley for sixth in assists in Lightning history. The assist came on a Ryan Callahan goal in a 4–0 Lightning win over the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center. On 15 November, Hedman recorded his 190th assist on a Steven Stamkos goal, which moved Hedman past Bradley for sixth all time in assists in Lightning history. The assist came in a 4–3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. On 21 November against the Nashville Predators, Hedman recorded an assist on a Tyler Johnson goal, which was Hedman's 243rd career point. This put Hedman into a tie with Pavel Kubina for tenth place on the Lightning's all-time scoring list. Hedman also tied with Kubina for second all-time in points by a defencemen in Lightning history. On 23 November, Hedman recorded a goal in a 4–2 Lightning victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. This was Hedman's 244th career point, which moved him past Kubina for second in points by a defenceman and tenth in points in Lightning history. On 14 December, Hedman skated in his 500th career NHL game, which came in a 6–3 Lightning victory over the Calgary Flames. Additionally, Hedman recorded three assists on goals by Alex Killorn, Andrej Šustr and Brian Boyle respectively and thereafter needed two points to tie Dan Boyle for most all-time points by a Lightning defenceman. On 16 December, Hedman recorded his 253rd career NHL point in a 4–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks with a goal on Canucks' goaltender Ryan Miller, which moved him into a tie with Dan Boyle. On 17 December, Hedman became the all-time leader in points by a defenceman with his 254th career point, an assist on a goal by Jonathan Drouin in a 3–2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. As a result of this milestone, Hedman also moved into ninth place on the all-time franchise list for all skaters. On 20 December, Hedman recorded his 200th career NHL assist on a goal scored by Brayden Point. Hedman also became the first defencemen in Lightning history to record 200 career assists. On 28 December against the Montreal Canadiens, Hedman recorded two points, a goal on Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and an assist on a goal by Ondřej Palát to move past Chris Gratton in to eighth place on the Lightning's all-time scoring list. On 10 January 2017, Hedman was named to the 2017 NHL All-Star Game as a member of the Atlantic Division team. On 23 February, Hedman recorded his 526th and 527th career hits in a game against the Calgary Flames, which moved him past Eric Brewer for the most hits in Lightning history. On 11 March, Hedman recorded his 287th career point in a Lightning uniform with an assist on a Nikita Kucherov goal in a 3–2 Lightning win over the Florida Panthers. This moved him past Fredrik Modin for seventh-most points all-time in franchise history. On 27 March, in a 5–4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Hedman recorded his 50th assist of the season to become the first defenceman in Lightning history to record 50th assists in a single season. On 30 March, Hedman recorded an assist on a goal by Jonathan Drouin in the second period to move him past Roman Hamrlík for the most points in a single season by a defenceman in Lightning history as the Lightning would defeat the Detroit Red Wings 5–3. On 6 April, in a 4–1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hedman recorded three assists on goals by Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Michaël Bournival to become the first defenceman in Lightning history to reach 70 points in a single season. Hedman also joined Börje Salming, Nicklas Lidström and Erik Karlsson as the only Swedish defencemen to reach 70 points in a single season. On 9 April in the 2016–17 season finale, Hedman recorded a goal and an assist on a Brayden Point goal in a 4–2 Lightning win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. Hedman's two points moved him past Brian Bradley for sixth all-time in franchise history in points. Hedman completed the season with a career-high in goals, assists and points with 16 goals, 56 assists and 72 points recorded in 79 games played. His 56 assists led the Lightning in assists. Hedman and the Lightning would miss the 2017 playoffs by just one point in the standings. On 21 April, Hedman was named as a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the first time in his career, which is awarded annually to the NHL's top defenceman. Hedman finished third in Norris voting that season as the award ultimately went to Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks. On 21 June, Hedman was named as an NHL Second Team All Star for the 2016–17 season.
On 12 October 2017, Hedman skated in his 553rd NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which moved him past Brad Richards for fifth-most games played in Lightning history. On the same night, Hedman recorded his 66th career NHL goal, which moved him into a tie with Dan Boyle for second-most goals by a Lightning defencemen in franchise history. On 4 November, Hedman recorded two assists on goals by Steven Stamkos and Yanni Gourde in a 5–4 Lightning win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets. The two assists moved Hedman past Václav Prospal for fifth-most assists in Lightning franchise history. On 10 January 2018, Hedman was named to the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. Hedman also became the only defenceman in Lightning history to be named to multiple All-Star Games. However, he could not play due to injury and he was replaced by teammate Brayden Point. Hedman was unable to play in the All-Star Game due to a knee injury suffered on 11 January in a game against the Calgary Flames in a knee-on-knee collission with Flames' forward Garnet Hathaway. However, Hedman did participate in the event by serving an assistant equipment manager. On 8 February, Hedman recorded a goal in a 5–2 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The goal moved Hedman past Pavel Kubina for the most goals by a defenceman in franchise history. On 3 March, Hedman recorded a four-point game in a 7–6 Lightning shootout win over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. With his four-point effort, Hedman became the only defenceman in Lightning history to record multiple 4+ point games. Hedman finished the 2017–18 season with 17 goals and 46 assists for 63 points in 77 games played and a career high +32 rating to help the Lightning not only return to the playoffs after the team narrowly missed the year prior but also helping the Lightning finish the season as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. In the 2018 playoffs, Hedman and the Lightning would go on another lengthy playoff run having defeated the eighth-seeded New Jersey Devils in five games and the third-seeded Boston Bruins in five games in the first two rounds before being defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games by the second-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, one win short of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals once more. Hedman ended the playoffs with 1 goal and 10 assists for 11 points in all 17 games played. On 20 June, at the 2018 NHL awards, Hedman won the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the first time in his career. This was Hedman's second consecutive nomination and second time for his career for the award. Hedman was the first defenceman in Lightning history to win the award.
Shortly before the 2018–19 season began, Hedman was named alternate captain for the Lightning. On 29 December 2018, Hedman recorded his 300th career NHL assist on a Nikita Kucherov goal against the Montreal Canadiens. On 10 January 2019, Hedman skated in his 663rd game in a Lightning uniform in a 3–1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. This moved Hedman past Pavel Kubina for the most games played by a defenceman in franchise history. On 10 February, Hedman recorded his 400th career NHL point with an assist on a goal scored by Yanni Gourde in a 5–4 Lightning victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On 5 March, Hedman moved past Dan Boyle for most power play points by a defenceman in Lightning history with an assist on a goal by Brayden Point in a 5–2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Hedman finished the season playing in 70 games with 12 goals, 42 assists and 54 points. The Lighting won their first Presidents' Trophy as the regular season champions, tying the 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings for a league record of 62 wins in an 82-game season. Despite the regular season dominance, the Lightning would surprisingly get swept in the first round of the 2019 playoffs by the eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets. In the four game sweep, Hedman would be held pointless in the first two games of the series before missing the final two games due to an undisclosed injury in game two. Hedman was a finalist for the Norris Trophy for the third consecutive season, which eventually went to Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano.