NEW YORK — Victor Hedman will step back into the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, carrying a lighter frame, a clearer head and a different feeling than the one that sent him away from the club last March.
The 35-year-old defenseman is set to face the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. ET in his first NHL game since March 19. He departed the Lightning the following day on a leave of absence to focus on his mental health, missing the final 15 games of the regular season and Tampa Bay’s seven-game Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Hedman had described dealing with performance anxiety that could leave him unable to play freely. Entering his 18th NHL season, he said that burden is no longer hanging over him.
“There are always some opening-night nerves, maybe a little more than usual,” Hedman said. “But I feel confident, my energy is great, and it should be a lot of fun tonight.”
A leaner return to the blue line
Hedman reported back to Tampa in August at 228 pounds, down 16 pounds from the 244 he carried before his time away. The change came through a revised training routine and diet, with the goal of making the big defenseman quicker and more comfortable on his skates.
“As you get older, the less weight you have to move, the faster you can feel,” Hedman said. “That has been my feeling throughout camp.”
He does not believe the weight loss has cost him the strength needed for the hard parts of defending. Hedman remains one of the League’s larger blue-liners, and he expects to be just as capable around the crease and along the boards.
“I don’t think I gave up any power or strength,” he said. “I’m still a pretty heavy player in this League, so boxing out and winning battles should not change. Hopefully I can keep feeling as light as I do now and get moving with my skates. That is my biggest strength, so I need to use it.”
Lightning coach Jon Cooper noticed the difference immediately when Hedman arrived for camp.
“He was ripped,” Cooper said. “It is not as though he was not in shape before, but he clearly had something he wanted to accomplish, and he took care of himself.”
Cooper said Hedman’s conditioning stood out even in a camp without fitness testing. As the coach watched him through exhibition games, he saw a player whose preparation had already carried into his game.
“He came back in exceptional shape,” Cooper said. “There was no testing, so he did not have to do that, but he arrived in exceptional shape. I think it has helped get his play going early.”
The fresh start follows a difficult 2025-26 campaign in which injuries and his leave of absence limited Hedman to 33 games. He missed 49 games overall last season, more than the 43 he had missed across the previous 10 seasons combined.
“Hopefully last year was just a blip,” Hedman said. “Playing only 33 games made it difficult, but maybe it was also a blessing in some ways. I’m excited, energized and feeling good.”
Nearly six and a half months have passed since his last game, yet Hedman said he is calmer than he expected to be before his return. For him, that confidence comes from the work done away from the rink and the belief that his preparation has put him in position to play his game again.
“It comes from the confidence I have in myself and in the way I prepared,” Hedman said. “All you can control on a day like this is your preparation and your work ethic. The rest will take care of itself.”
