The Tampa Bay Lightning have named defenseman Victor Hedman the 11th captain in franchise history, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. The two alternate captains will be forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

“We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history,” said BriseBois. “Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL. Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”

Among all defensemen in Lightning franchise history, Hedman, 33, ranks first for games played with 1,052, points with 728, power-play points with 259, shorthanded points with 14, overtime goals with eight, game-winning goals with 28, shots on goal with 2,241, hits with 1,132, blocked shots with 1,613 and takeaways with 529. Hedman has recorded more time on ice than any skater in Bolts franchise history, logging 24,683:30 of total ice time over his first 15 seasons with the club. One of just three players to play over 1,000 regular season games with the Lightning, Hedman is just 31 games shy of becoming Tampa Bay’s all-time leader for games played.

Beyond the regular season, Hedman has consistently delivered in the postseason as one of the top playoff performers in Lightning history. One of three Bolts players to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs, the two-time Stanley Cup champion stands alone as Tampa Bay’s all-time leader for postseason games played with 165. Similar to his regular season accolades, Hedman holds nearly every playoff franchise record among defensemen, leading the way for games played, points with 117, goals with 23, assists with 94, power-play goals with 10, power-play points with 51, game-winning goals with five, shots on goals with 415 and blocked shots with 317.

Since being selected by Tampa Bay with the second overall pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Hedman has cemented himself as one of the game’s top defensemen, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2018 as the defenseman who demonstrated throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position. A finalist for the award for six consecutive seasons from 2016 through 2022, Hedman has also represented the Bolts at the NHL All-Star Game on four separate occasions.

Hedman has played for his country in numerous international competitions, including the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championship that saw Sweden take home the gold medal with Hedman being recognized as a top three player on the team. He most recently helped Sweden capture a bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship, finishing the tournament with seven assists and eight points in 10 games. A month later, Hedman was selected as one of the first six players to represent Team Sweden at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. The tournament will take place Feb. 12-20 at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal.

The Ornskoldsvik, Sweden native is firmly entrenched in the Tampa Bay community and has been heavily involved with a number of charitable initiatives. Most recently, Hedman teamed up with the Lightning Foundation in celebration of his 1,000th career NHL game and donated 1,000 pounds of dog food to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Previous Lightning Captains:

Steven Stamkos 2013-14 – 2023-24

Martin St. Louis 2013-14

Vincent Lecavalier 2008-09 - 2012-13

Tim Taylor 2006-07 - 2007-08

Dave Andreychuk 2002-03 - 2005-06

Vincent Lecavalier 1999-00 - 2000-01

Chris Gratton 1999-00

Bill Houlder 1999-00

Rob Zamuner 1998-99

Mikael Renberg 1997-98

Paul Ysebaert 1995-96 - 1997-98

None 1992-93 - 1994-95

COVER PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

The Press