Victor Hedman reveals what was really behind his sudden Lightning leave and it's heartbreaking
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Victor Hedman says performance anxiety fueled the leave of absence that ended his season early, and he's ready for a fresh start in Tampa Bay.
Victor Hedman is heading into his 18th NHL season with a clear head, and for the first time he's opening up about what actually sent him away from the Tampa Bay Lightning last spring.
The Lightning captain says performance anxiety, not an injury or a family matter, was the real reason behind his sudden leave of absence in March.
Hedman missed the final stretch of the regular season and the opening round of the playoffs after leaving a game early against Vancouver, logging under five minutes before heading to the room for good.
At the time, the team called it personal reasons and asked for privacy.
Now Hedman is filling in the details himself, describing a pressure that built every single gameday and refused to let go no matter how hard he tried to shake it.
What Hedman said about the pressure
Hedman explained that game mornings brought a tightness in his chest that he couldn't shake once the puck dropped.
He said mistakes that used to roll off his back started sticking with him, compounding through a season already complicated by an elbow procedure that cost him 22 games and a shortened Olympic run with Team Sweden that ended with an injury before the quarterfinals.
He credited his therapist of four years, his family and teammates around the league, including former captain Steven Stamkos, for helping him find his footing again.
The 35 year old defenseman has said he has no regrets about stepping forward publicly, hoping his story gives other players in similar positions the confidence to ask for help instead of pushing through in silence and pretending everything is fine.
What comes next for Tampa Bay
The Lightning are counting on a fully healthy Hedman to anchor a blue line that has come up short in the first round four years running.
General manager Julien BriseBois has publicly backed his captain through the entire process, and Hedman insists his body and mind are finally lined up heading into training camp.
Tampa Bay's success this season may hinge on just how much of his old form the longtime captain can recapture.
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