Tampa Bay Lightning appoint a new captain following the departure of Steven Stamkos

The Tampa Bay Lightning have named defenseman Victor Hedman as the 11th captain in franchise history, the team's vice president and general manager, Julien BriseBois, announced today.

Hedman will be joined by two alternate captains: forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

Hedman, 33, is the top defenseman in Lightning history, ranking first in games played (1,052), points (728), power-play points (259), and game-winning goals (28) among many other categories. He has logged the most ice time of any player in franchise history, with over 24,683 minutes on the ice across 15 seasons. He's also just 31 games away from becoming the franchise leader in games played.

In the playoffs, Hedman has also excelled, holding nearly every Lightning postseason record for defensemen, including most games played (165), points (117), and blocked shots (317). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

Selected by the Lightning with the second overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, Hedman has become one of the top defensemen in the league. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2018 and has been a finalist for the award six times. He's also a four-time NHL All-Star.

Internationally, Hedman has represented Sweden in several competitions, including the 2017 IIHF World Championship where he helped win gold and the 2024 World Championship where Sweden won bronze. He was also chosen to represent Sweden at the upcoming 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

Off the ice, Hedman is deeply involved in the Tampa Bay community. In celebration of his 1,000th NHL game, he partnered with the Lightning Foundation to donate 1,000 pounds of dog food to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

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