Hedman expected to return from elbow injury for Lightning at Stadium Series

TAMPA -- Victor Hedman is expected to return from an elbow injury for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS).

The defenseman and Lightning captain was injured during a 6-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9. Hedman was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 11 and has been recovering from surgery.

“Like I said before, playing in this game has been a big motivation in me coming back,” Hedman told NHL.com on Saturday. “It’s up to (coach Jon Cooper) and the trainers, so we’ll see at game time.

“But I felt good out there. All the signs are positive.”

Hedman received stick taps from his teammates at center ice at the conclusion of practice here, a clear sign he can play Sunday.

“I think you saw at the end of practice there what happened,” Cooper said minutes later, confirming Hedman’s return. “So, you know, barring him coming in saying no, which I think is extremely doubtful, most likely [he’ll play].”

Hedman’s pending return is good news for the Lightning and Team Sweden, who Hedman will represent at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He is expected to be a key cog for coach Sam Hallam’s team, which plays its opening game of the tournament against host Italy on Feb. 11 (3 p.m. ET; Peacock, USA, CBC Gem, SN, TSN, CBC). Hedman had 12 assists and was averaging 21:05 of ice time for Tampa Bay prior to the injury.

“Sweden, the country Sweden, can take a huge breath,” Cooper said.

Hedman was the first player to emerge from the Lightning dressing room and led them onto the ice for practice, which was held inside the tent set up by the NHL to protect the surface. The cover will be removed Sunday morning.

For Lightning players, seeing Hedman back was a huge confidence boost.

“Victor is our big captain,” goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy said. “He brings a lot of energy to our team.”

Forward Jake Guentzel agreed.

“He’s our emotional leader,” Guentzel said. “He’s our captain for a reason. He plays a lot of minutes and does a lot of things for our team.”

The Lightning (34-14-4) entered Saturday atop the Eastern Conference and have gone 17-3-2 since Hedman’s injury.

“I can’t say how proud I am of the guys,” he said. “They have a great thing going here, and I’m looking forward very much to be part of it if things work out.”