Tampa Bay Lightning extend Victor Hedman on four-year, $32M deal – TSN.ca

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenceman Victor Hedman to a four-year, $32 million contract extension.

The deal comes one day after Hedman became eligible to sign an extension as he enters the final season of an eight-year, $63 million contract with a cap hit of $7.875 million. The 33-year-old blueliner will carry a cap hit of $8 million under the new deal, starting in 2025-26.

The 6-foot-7 left-shot defenceman recorded 13 goals and 76 points in 78 games last season. He added a goal and seven points in five playoff games before his team was eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the first round.

Drafted second overall in 2009, Hedman has played his entire 15-season career with the Lightning, recording 156 goals and 728 points in 1,052 career games

Hedman is a two-time Stanley Cup winner after helping Tampa Bay to back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020, recording 10 goals and 22 points during the playoff run.

The Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, native won the Norris Trophy and was named a first-team all-star in 2018 and is also a five-time second-team all-star.

Hedman represented his country four times at the World Championship, taking home a gold medal in 2017 and two bronze medals in 2010 and 2024. He also represented Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, winning a bronze medal.