A cornerstone of the Lightning defense, Hedman made a quick impact upon being selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft.

Coming out of the Swedish Elite League, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors as an 18-year-old, Hedman joined the Lightning for the 2009-10 season and had an assist in his first NHL game, a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers, on Oct. 3. On Dec. 5, 2009, Hedman scored his first career goal in a 4-0 victory against the New York Islanders.

He honed his defensive game early and has since become a standout at both ends of the ice with his blend of size (6-foot-6, 223 pounds) and speed.

During the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hedman's play on defense helped Tampa Bay advance to the Final. He would have been a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the playoffs, had the Lightning won the series.

Hedman hails from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, which has produced NHL stars Markus Naslund, Peter Forsberg and Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Many high-level players have spent time with Modo, the local club team where Hedman's father, Olle, served as an equipment manager.

Hedman joined the senior-league team at 16. In his two seasons playing in the men's league he had nine goals and 25 points in 82 games.