With his appearance in tonight’s (Dec. 28) game against the New York Rangers, Victor Hedman has passed Steven Stamkos for the most games played in Tampa Bay Lightning franchise history with 1,083. He is also the fourth Swedish player to have the most games played for a franchise, alongside Henrik Sedin (1,330 games with the Vancouver Canucks), Adam Larsson (281 games with the Seattle Kraken), and Kevin Stenlund (35 games played with the Utah Hockey Club).
The 6-foot-6 defenseman from Sweden has been a standout player for the Lightning after they selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. His 10 goals in the 2020 Playoffs were the most by a defenseman since Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers scored 11 in 1994, and he averaged 26:20 of ice time, the most of any player who got as far as the second round of the playoffs.
Leaving his mark on Lightning history. ⚡️
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 29, 2024
Congrats, Heddy! pic.twitter.com/zKhpGDK4Hy
After earning Rookie of the Year honors in the Swedish Elite League as an 18-year-old, Hedman joined the Lightning for the 2009-10 season and had an assist in his first NHL game, a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers on Oct. 3. On Dec. 5, 2009, Hedman scored his first NHL goal in a 4-0 victory against the New York Islanders.
Hedman is the first Lightning defenseman to play 1,000 games in the NHL; he was plus-1 in 23:55 of ice time in a 4-0 win against the Dallas Stars at Amalie Arena on Dec. 4, 2023. He was the third player in team history to reach the milestone, joining Vincent Lecavalier (1,037) and Stamkos (1,027).
Hedman was named the 11th captain in team history on Sept. 18, 2024. He replaced longtime captain Steven Stamkos when the forward signed with the Nashville Predators as a free agent.
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