Hedman Undergoes Elbow Procedure, Benched for Lightning Until February

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is set to undergo an elbow procedure on Monday. This decision comes after he was placed on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury. Hedman is expected to be back on the ice in time to represent Sweden at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in February.

Injury Overview

The 34-year-old captain sustained the injury during a recent game against the Montreal Canadiens, where the Lightning secured a dominant 6-1 victory. This match marked Hedman’s return after missing 12 previous games due to another undisclosed injury. Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned that Hedman would seek second opinions regarding his condition prior to an 8-4 win against the New Jersey Devils.

Olympic Aspirations

Hedman has been selected as one of six players for Team Sweden’s preliminary Olympic roster. Despite the injury, he has contributed 12 assists in 18 games this season, showcasing his importance to the team.

Career Milestones

Victor Hedman was drafted by the Lightning as the second overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. Over his career, he has accumulated impressive statistics, including:

• 806 points in 1,149 regular-season games (171 goals, 635 assists)
• 120 points in 170 Stanley Cup Playoff games (23 goals, 97 assists)

Hedman won the Norris Trophy in 2018, recognizing him as the NHL’s top defenseman. He also contributed to the Lightning’s Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021, and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020 as the playoffs’ most valuable player.

Franchise Records

Hedman currently holds the following records in Lightning history:

• First in games played
• First among defensemen in goals, assists, and total points

Goalie Situation

In addition to Hedman’s absence, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has also been sidelined. He has missed the last five games due to an undisclosed injury but practiced on Friday. Vasilevskiy might return for the upcoming match against the Florida Panthers on Monday. His last appearance was on December 2 against the New York Islanders, where he made 22 saves.

So far, Vasilevskiy has a record of 11 wins, 6 losses, and 2 overtime losses this season, maintaining a goals-against average of 2.31 and a save percentage of .917, including one shutout over 19 starts.