- Hedman reveals he stepped away from the Lightning to focus on his mental health
- Captain says he is in a “much better place” thanks to family, teammates and his therapist
- Read below for Hedman’s full statement and his message to the rest of the league
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s captain is finally telling people what kept him out of the lineup.
Victor Hedman released a statement Tuesday morning explaining that he stepped away from the team in late March to focus on his mental health. He missed Tampa Bay’s final six weeks of the regular season and the entire first round of the playoffs.
The full statement landed on the team’s account that morning:
“Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health,” Hedman wrote. “It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.”
The 35-year-old has been with the Lightning his whole career and ranks as one of the best defensemen the franchise has ever had. His last game was March 19, a win over Vancouver, and he left that one early with what the team called an illness.
Six days later, Tampa Bay announced he was taking a temporary leave for “personal reasons.” That was all anyone got until Tuesday.
Hedman pointed to the people in his corner.
“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,” he wrote.
Coach Jon Cooper said a few days before Tampa’s Game 7 loss to Montreal that Hedman could be an option “really soon.” That return never happened. Pierre LeBrun’s tweet captured Cooper’s comment:
None of this came out of nowhere. Hedman partnered with Tampa-based clothing brand NOSOLO on Hockey Talks Night in January to raise money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The captain has also pushed for ending the stigma around mental health in male athletes, an issue that’s already touched the league this season after Senators goalie Linus Ullmark opened up about his own struggles.
Hedman ended his statement looking forward.
“This is something that exists in our game more than people see. If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters.”
