Victor Hedman is on a temporary leave from the Tampa Bay Lightning for personal reasons. The team made the announcement on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old defenseman and captain has already missed the Lightning’s last three games. He left during the first period of a 6-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on March 19 due to illness.
Hedman’s Injury-Plagued Season
Hedman has been limited to 17 points in 33 games this season. He has one goal and 16 assists.
An elbow injury that required surgery on December 15 caused him to miss a total of 34 games over two stints. Hedman returned for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on February 1. He played 10:18 in a 6-5 shootout victory.
Lightning’s Position in the Atlantic Division
The Lightning are hosting the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. They are second in the Atlantic Division.
Tampa Bay has a record of 44-21-5. They sit three points behind the Buffalo Sabres with two games in hand.
Hedman’s International and NHL Play
Hedman played Tampa Bay’s final three games before joining Team Sweden for the 2026 Winter Olympics. He missed its 2-1 overtime loss to Team USA in the quarterfinals with a lower-body injury he sustained during warmups.
He recovered in time for the Lightning to resume play on February 25. He skated in their first 12 games after the break before leaving against the Canucks.
Hedman’s Accomplishments and Legacy
Hedman won the Norris Trophy in 2018 as the NHL’s best defenseman. He is first in Lightning history among defensemen in games (1,164), goals (172), assists (639) and points (811).
He helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021. Hedman also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Lightning will continue their season without Hedman as he attends to personal matters.