The Tampa Bay Lightning named Victor Hedman as their new captain on Wednesday when training camp began, making him the successor to Steven Stamkos.
Hedman, who is starting his 16th season with the team, was seen as the clear choice for the “C” after Stamkos, the long-time captain, left to join Nashville without being re-signed.
“Victor is a cornerstone player who is highly respected by his teammates, coaches, and peers across the NHL,” said general manager Julien BriseBois.
“Over the past 15 seasons, he has represented our organization excellently both on and off the ice.
Victor truly embodies what it means to be a Tampa Bay Lightning player, and he is ready for this exciting opportunity. We look forward to seeing him thrive in this new role as we aim to win the Stanley Cup.”
The 33-year-old from Sweden played a crucial role in the Lightning’s back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021, earning playoff MVP honors during the first of those runs.
He also won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 2018 and finished in the top three for that award five other times.
Ryan McDonagh, who was traded back to the team from the Predators earlier in the offseason, and MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov will be the alternate captains as the Lightning move forward without Stamkos.
