Victor Hedman Opens Up About Missing Time for Lighting Last Season

The captain was missed during his extended absence

Feb 1, 2026; Tampa Bay, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) skates on the ice during warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins in the 2026 Stadium Series ice hockey game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Victor Hedman is the backbone of the Tampa Bay Lightning's physical nature. He is their captain, he is their culture bearer, and at most times he is always on the ice.

But this past season Victor Hedman wasn't on the ice as much. And at most times it was more so a mystery. Hedman only appeared in 33 games this past season and missed all of the Bolts fourth straight playoff exit.

And after months of speculation, Victor Hedman opened up about what kept him off the ice in a recent interview with NHL.com.

Victor Hedman just opened up about the real reason behind his leave of absence, and it had nothing to do with a physical injury.

The Lightning captain says he was dealing with performance anxiety that became overwhelming during the season.

Hedman described waking up on game… pic.twitter.com/3oiIA05pu9

— Hockey Patrol (@HockeyPatrol) August 26, 2026

"For me, it was not really feeling low, but it was performance anxiety, kind of feeling that pressure in your chest as soon as a gameday would hit," Hedman said. "It kind of locks you up. You make a mistake and in the past you'd be able to shake it off, but I couldn't do that. And I wasn't feeling 100 percent physically."

- Victor Hedman

What Hedman is describing is the yips, also known as performance anxiety in todays world. As an athlete, this is a scary mental block to endure, and it really has no explanation. Most known in baseball it is the simple inability to perform a task at the level you are so used to doing. I wrote my research paper in psychology on the subject and when you take a deep dive into performance anxiety it makes you wonder how many athletes go through something similar and just don't have the courage to share like Hedman did.

"I felt it was important for me to do to get a handle on everything mentally and physically. Someone told me that for good leaders sometimes doing the right thing for the team is to kind of step away. I thought that was the right decision for me. I was not myself on the ice. I felt I was not helping the team. So, I felt the best thing for the team was for me to focus on myself away. I do not regret that decision at all. It was the right thing to do."

- Victor Hedman

And Hedman was right to do this. The athletes are the money makers and are often looked at as entertainers rather than humans. This causes irrational comments and sometimes even threats to an athlete's loved ones. These factors all cause more stress and anxiety based on success within their sport and it is and was unnecessary to ever question why Hedman wasn't on the ice.

By addressing anxiety and the yips, we contribute to a healthier sports community that values the person behind the athlete and their overall development. This once again goes towards beginning to look at athletes as people and not entertainers.

For Hedman, it took a lot of courage to open up about his missed time, but it also represents his importance to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is what leaders do, even if it is difficult for them to do, even when he wanted to be on the ice, he knew that he had to take care of himself before he became a detriment to the team, and his team, family, and community had his back the whole way through.

Hedman will come back stronger and the Bolts will love to have his presence back on the ice.