TAMPA, Fla. (AP) 鈥� The Tampa Bay Lightning selected Victor Hedman as the team captain on Wednesday as training camp opened, making the big defenseman the successor to Steven Stamkos.
Hedman, who is going into his 16th season with Tampa Bay, was considered the obvious choice to get the 鈥淐鈥� after the and their longtime captain left to join Nashville.
鈥淰ictor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL," general manager Julien BriseBois said. "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.鈥�
The 33-year-old from Sweden was a key contributor in the Lightning hoisting the Cup back to back in 2020 and '21, including on the first of those championship runs. Hedman also took home the Norris Trophy as the NHL鈥檚 top defenseman in 2018 and finished in the top three in voting five other seasons.
Ryan McDonagh, who was in a trade with the Predators, and MVP finalist Nikita Kucherov will serve as alternate captains with the Lightning moving on to the post-Stamkos era.
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AP NHL:
The Associated Press
