Victor Hedman has accomplished nearly everything over the course of his hockey career.
And yet, the 2026 Winter Olympics present the two-time Stanley Cup champion with a chance to join another exclusive group in the hockey universe.
Should Hedman help Team Sweden win a gold medal at this year’s Olympics, the defenseman would be inducted into the Triple Gold Club, which recognizes a rare group of players who have won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and an IIHF World Championship gold medal in their career.
Only 30 players have been able to do so since 1930, a feat the IIHF refers to as the sport’s “most distinguished membership”.
Hedman is well aware he could join the exclusive club this month, and he didn’t hold back when asked what it would mean to him.
“That would be the pinnacle.”
He knows, though, it won’t happen easily.
“One step at a time. I’ve got two of the three down, but next week we start the quest toward the Triple Gold Club,” the defenseman said before leaving for Italy. “There's a lot of players who ask for that opportunity, but for me personally, it's just one game at a time.”
Hedman can become the 12th defenseman to accomplish the feat and the fourth Swedish defenseman, joining Nicklas Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Jonsson.
Among the Swedish greats, Hedman was particularly inspired by forward Peter Forsberg because they both hail from the same hometown of Ornskoldsvik.
“He’s just been one of those guys I looked up to for my whole career,” Hedman said.
Now the Lightning defenseman has the chance to join a few of his childhood idols, including Forsberg, in the Triple Gold Club.
He would be the second player to earn Triple Gold Club status while playing for the Lightning. His fellow countryman in Freddy Modin joined after winning gold with Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
“I've seen him quite a few times, and Freddy Mo was another one of those guys I looked up to,” Hedman said. “You know his history here, so it’d be cool to join him as well.”
Modin has known Hedman from the time he was still a kid, and he hopes to see No. 77 join the Club.
“The first time I saw Victor, I believe he was 16 years old when I saw him play a little bit in Sweden. You knew we had something special to look forward to, and he's certainly taken the reins on that,” Modin said. “Throughout his career he just keeps playing well and breaking records, and he’s definitely one guy that you would like to be part of that and get himself an Olympic gold. That would be huge for him, and he’d be a fitting guy to have that Triple Gold membership.”
Hedman, who is serving as a member of Team Sweden’s leadership group as an assistant captain at this year’s tournament, has helped his team to a 2-0-0-1 record so far at the Olympics. He scored an empty-net goal in his Olympic debut last Wednesday, a 5-2 win over Italy.
He called this year’s team “phenomenal” despite missing key players such as defenseman Jonas Brodin and forward Leo Carlsson to injury.
Sweden will face Latvia in a playoff game on Tuesday, and a win would send the team to a quarterfinal matchup against Team USA on Wednesday.
As those games near, Hedman won’t take any moment for granted.
He is chasing history, after all.
“It's a once in a lifetime kind of deal,” he said.
“Pretty much the only little thing that's missing in my career is to get to play in the Olympics, and now I get to do that. I’m just gonna enjoy that process, but at the same time go there and have no regrets coming back. Just give it my all and make the people of Sweden proud.”
