OTTAWA — Andrei Vasilevskiy can’t imagine the Lightning without Victor Hedman, and he’s not alone. Hedman is now the first defenseman to play 700 games with the team.
Three other players have reached the milestone: Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier. Where St. Louis and Lecavalier were the centerpieces of the Lightning’s success in the mid 2000s, Stamkos and Hedman launched the rebuild that led to the recent success.
“It means I’m getting older,” Hedman quipped of his milestone. “It’s a big number.”
Hedman turns 29 in December. It would be a stretch — but not inconceivable — to say that Hedman has 700 more games ahead of him, starting with today’s against the Senators. The Flames’ Mark Giordano, who beat Hedman for the Norris Trophy last season, turned 36 last week. The Bruins’ Zdeno Chara is still one of the league’s best defensemen at 42.
“That’s amazing to me,” coach Jon Cooper said. “Seven hundred games. (Hedman) still seems like such a young guy, and he is young. So it’s amazing that he’s been playing that well for so long.”
To Hedman, the important part of this milestone is that all 700 games have come with one team. Spending a career with one team is a rarity in pro sports these days, but Hedman’s dedication to a single team goes back further. He didn’t move around in juniors, either; that’s not the way in Sweden.
“I played for Modo until I was 18, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said. “I have two teams close to my heart.”
Hedman won the Norris in the 2017-18 season and was one of the three finalists for the award last season. He’s the only defenseman on the Lightning’s career top 10 points and assists lists. His size (6 feet 6, 229 pounds) and skill — particularly his skating — make him a force to be reckoned with.
Hedman is also one of the best in the league at quarterbacking the power play. The Lightning’s skilled forwards aren’t the only recent their power play has been so successful.
Hedman’s teammates refer to him as the nicest guy in the dressing room. Tyler Johnson called him “one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.” They say you’ll never meet a bad Swede, but Hedman takes it to another level, Johnson said.
Stamkos and Hedman came into the league a year apart — 2008 and 2009, respectively, both Lightning first-round draft picks at 18. They were always going to be tied together because of that, and fortunately for them, they have formed a lifelong friendship. Stamkos has had a closeup view of Hedman’s growth, calling him a role model not just on the team but in the community.
Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter
You’re all signed up!
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your options“He’s the ultimate friend,” Stamkos said. “He’ll do anything to help you out. I could go on and on about his on-ice accolades, but I think it says volumes to his character off the ice.”
Hedman’s the one who is there to pick up a teammate when he needs it. He makes the dressing room a little more positive. Sometimes it’s a quick something to cheer someone up after making a mistake.
“He’s quiet in the room, but whenever he says something, everybody always listens,” said defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. “That’s just the kind of person he is.”
Contact Diana C. Nearhos at dnearhos@gmail.com. Follow @dianacnearhos.