This Day in Lightning History: Victor Hedman scores his first career goal

Introducing This Day in Lightning History, a brief spotlight to pause, watch some highlights, and pay homage to the great on-ice moments of Lightning past on their anniversaries. Today, we’re turning the clock back on the captain, Victor Hedman.

Hedman is the regal statesman of the Lightning. The Big Swede, the humble professional and the embodiment of what it means to wear the Bolt. But 15 years ago, he was not quite that. He was the young rook. The prince and the prodigy. He didn’t even have a beard.

Hedman’s reflected several times on his most memorable NHL goal—the first of his storied career. It came against the Islanders on this day in 2009. And on a more curious, supernatural level, it came 14 years to the day of his 1000^th game.

All 79 inches of 19-year-old Hedman flew down the left side on a 3-on-1 rush. There’s a possibility that Hedman didn’t even know what inches were when this happened, what with Sweden on the metric system. The goal wasn’t one of his 100-mph drives from deep or power play wind-ups. Rather, it came off a perfectly sauced, cross-ice feed from fellow 1000-gamer, Vinny Lecavalier.

Lecavalier’s pass was sweet. Like a dad flipping a flapjack straight off the skillet and onto his son’s breakfast plate. And Hedman’s finish was clean. Like Vince Carter catching a loft and flushing the alley-oop.

Hedman has since knighted the goal “Pretty” to NHL.com, rating it a 7/10. Classic Heds. In hindsight—when you consider all of the lore, the captaincy and the minutes it’s led to—it’s more like a 12/10. Yeah, that’s more like it.

Victor Hedman’s first career goal—a great day in Lightning history.