Scoopfeeds — Intelligent news, curated.
sports

Hedman: Absence was to address mental health

ESPN · May 5, 2026, 5:58 PM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed Tuesday that his absence in the final weeks of the season was caused by a need to address his mental health.
  • Hedman, in a statement released by the Lightning, did not provide specifics about what he has been dealing with.
  • Hedman, 35, had been around the team in recent weeks, even taking part in some skates.

Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed Tuesday that his absence in the final weeks of the season was caused by a need to address his mental health.

Hedman, in a statement released by the Lightning, did not provide specifics about what he has been dealing with. He didn't play in Tampa Bay's final 22 games of the season, including the seven playoff matchups in a first-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Hedman, 35, had been around the team in recent weeks, even taking part in some skates. But the defenseman's last game was in mid-March.

Article preview — originally published by ESPN. Full story at the source.
Read full story on ESPN → More top stories

Also covered by

Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from ESPN alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place. Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop