On Wednesday, September 18th, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced their new captain and alternative captains. Since former captain, Steven Stamkos, who has been Tampa Bay's captain for the past 10 seasons left and joined the Nashville Predators - the Lightning named defenseman Victor Hedman the 11th captain in franchise history, announced by vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois. The two alternative captains will be both forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
Victor Hedman has secured himself as one of the top defensemen of the game since being selected by the Lightning with the second overall pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In 2018, he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the defenseman who demonstrated throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position. He has also been a finalist for the award for six consecutive seasons from 2016 through 2022 and has represented Tampa Bay at the NHL All-Star Game on four separate occasions.
He has also played for his country in countless international competitions including, the 2017 IIHF Men's World Championship which saw Sweden take home the gold medal with Hedman recognized as one of the top three players on the team. Most recently, he helped Sweden secure a bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF Men's World Championship, finishing the tournament with a total of seven assists and eight points in 10 games. Just a month later, Hedman was selected as one of the first six players to represent Team Sweden at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, which will be taking place from the 12th-20th of February at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal.
Among all defensemen in Tampa Bay Lightning history, Victor Hedman ranks first for games played (1,052), points (728), power-play points (259), shorthanded points (14), overtime goals with eight, game-winning goals (28), shots on goal (2,241), hits (1,132), blocked shots (1,613), and takeaways (529). Hedman has also recorded more time on ice than any skater in Lightning history, logging 24,683:30 of total ice time over his first 15 seasons. One of only three players to play over 1,000 regular-season games with Tampa Bay, he is just 31 games shy of becoming the Lightning's all-time leader for games played.
Vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois on Victor Hedman being named the 11th captain in franchise history: "We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history... 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."
Beyond the regular season, Victor has consistently distributed in the postseason as one of the top playoff performers in Tampa Bay history. He is one of the three Bolts players to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player for his team during the playoffs, the two-time Stanley Cup champion currently stands alone as the Lightning's all-time leader for postseason games played with 165. Similar to his regular-season recognition, Hedman holds nearly every playoff franchise record among defensemen... leading the way for games played, points (117), goals (23), assists (94), power-play goals (10), power-play points (51), game-winning goals with five, shots on goal (415), and blocked shots (317).
Victor Hedman on being named the 11th captain in Bolts history: "It means the world... to lead this team is a great honor. And to get that 'C' on your jersey is a big privilege and a big responsibility."
*All photos used by the Tampa Bay Lightning used with permission*
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