Lightning name Hedman captain, replacing departed Stamkos
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The Tampa Bay Lightning named Victor Hedman as the team's new captain on Wednesday.
The move comes after former captain Steven Stamkos left the team in free agency, joining the Nashville Predators.
While Hedman will wear the "C", he'll be joined in the leadership group by alternate captains Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh.
We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history,” Lightning general manager BriseBois said. “Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL. Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
The Lightning have signed Hedman to a four-year, $32 million contract extension in July. He will play out the last of an eight-year, $63 million contract with a cap hit of $7.875 million this season before carrying a cap hit of $8 million starting next year.
The 33-year-old blueliner recorded 13 goals and 76 points in 78 games last season. He added a goal and seven points in five playoff games before his team was eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the first round.
Drafted second overall in 2009, Hedman has played his entire 15-season career with the Lightning, recording 156 goals and 728 points in 1,052 career games
Hedman is a two-time Stanley Cup winner after helping Tampa Bay to back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020, recording 10 goals and 22 points during the playoff run.
The Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, native won the Norris Trophy and was named a first-team all-star in 2018 and is also a five-time second-team all-star.