Lightning’s Victor Hedman breaks silence on mental health absence that kept him out of playoffs

Victor Hedman was not an option for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their fourth consecutive first-round exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs — and the captain made an announcement about his mental health on Tuesday.

“I’ve spent most of my life in this game, and all of my career in this organization. Wearing this jersey — and serving as captain — has been the greatest responsibility of my professional life,” the statement, which was shared by the team on social media, read. “That responsibility doesn’t only apply on the ice. Over the past couple months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.

“I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be. I’ve been fortunate to have strong support from my family, my teammates and the organization, my therapist and I’m in a much better place today.”

Hedman played in just 33 games in 2025-26, the lowest of his 17-year professional career. He suffered an elbow injury that required surgery in December, but still ended up suiting up for Team Sweden at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

He wasn’t able to play in the quarterfinals against Team USA after suffering a lower-body injury during warmups. Although he returned to the lineup against the Vancouver Canucks on March 19, he only played six shifts, which was his last game action of the campaign.

It was announced less than a week later that he was taking a leave of absence for personal reasons.

“This is something that exists in our game more than people see,” the statement concluded. “If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters. I’m proud of this team, and I look forward to what’s ahead.”

Hedman will be made available to the media on Tuesday as part of the Lightning’s end-of-season interviews at Benchmark International Arena. Tampa was defeated in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens in Round 1 on Sunday.

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