Lightning name Victor Hedman as captain

There was no other logical candidate to assume the role from Stamkos, who left for the Predators in free agency this summer after serving as Tampa Bay’s captain since 2013. Hedman is entering his 16th season with the Bolts and is only 30 games back of Stamkos’ franchise-record 1,082 games played. He’ll assume this record this season, barring a major injury.

“We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history,” BriseBois said. “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.”

Hedman, of course, has already helped Tampa achieve that goal. The six-time All-Star won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during the Lightning’s first of their back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020. The 2018 Norris Trophy winner signed a four-year, $32M extension this summer to keep him off the open market in 2025.

While no longer a bona fide top-three defenseman in the league, Hedman is still an elite blue liner and did well to prove that his disappointing 2022-2023 campaign was a fluke. The 33-year-old rebounded in a big way last season with 63 goals and 76 points in 78 games, the second-best season of his career offensively. He added on a team-high +18 rating and was once again their leader in average ice time at 24:48 per game.

He’s by far the best defenseman in Lightning history, holding franchise records among D-men in goals (156), assists (572), points (728) and rating (+175), all by a wide margin. The hulking 6-foot-7, 244-pound Swede was the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, one year after the Lightning selected Stamkos first overall to kick-start their late-2000s rebuild that’s still paying dividends.

Nikita Kucherov will continue serving as an alternate captain as he has since 2022, the team confirmed. Ryan McDonagh will also wear an "A" in his return to Tampa after two years with the Predators. He previously served as an alternate captain with the Bolts from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022.