Victor Hedman returns for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Victor Hedman will be back in the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, marking his first game in the Lightning lineup since March 19. The NHL announcement also notes that Hedman missed the end of last season while on leave, returning after a period away from the team.

The league’s update says Hedman left the team on March 20 and subsequently missed the final 15 games of the Lightning’s regular season and all seven games the club played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His return comes as he begins his 18th NHL season.

In the same NHL report, Hedman described changes he says have helped him as he approaches opening night. He said there is “always a little bit nervous” feeling before opening night, but added he feels confident and “energy-wise I feel great,” while framing his return as an enjoyable opportunity.

The NHL report further states that Hedman said he had been dealing with bouts of performance anxiety that “would lock him up and not allow him to perform,” information he shared in August. The league’s update frames that issue as resolved as he prepares to rejoin the lineup.

According to the NHL announcement, Hedman returned to Tampa Bay in August after dropping 16 pounds from the time he left the team, moving from 244 pounds to 228. The league attributes the change to adjustments to his training and diet, which he said were aimed at helping him feel and play lighter.

Hedman said in the NHL update that as players get older, they can feel faster with less mass to move, and he described that feeling as continuing through camp. He added that he does not believe he lost power or strength, emphasizing that his role in boxing out and winning battles is not expected to change, while highlighting skating as a key element of what he wants to deliver on the ice.

The NHL report also includes comments from Lightning head coach Jon Cooper about Hedman’s condition upon his return. Cooper said he was “off guard” at first by Hedman looking “ripped,” explaining that while Hedman had that shape previously, he appeared to have a clear goal and had looked after himself.

The league’s update says Cooper came to see the weight loss as significant as he watched Hedman in training camp and through preseason games. Cooper told reporters that Hedman returned in “exceptional shape,” adding that in a period without fitness testing, Hedman still chose to come back prepared, and Cooper believes that preparation helped “jumpstart” how Hedman had played so far.

The NHL announcement connects Hedman’s return to the broader context of his 2025-26 season. It states that multiple injuries, along with his personal decision to address his mental health, led to him missing 49 games, and it contrasts that with a total of 43 games missed across the previous 10 seasons.

In the league’s update, Hedman characterized last season as something he hoped would be a “blip on the radar,” saying he feels excited and energized and that he feels good as he enters the new phase of his season. He also said he feels less nervous than he expected heading into his first game in nearly six and a half months.

Finally, the NHL report describes Hedman’s approach to preparing for Thursday’s game. He said the confidence he feels in himself and in the way he prepared is tied to that reduced nervousness, and he emphasized that he will focus on preparation and work ethic, with the rest expected to follow.

The game is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, with the NHL report listing The Spot, MSG, and TVAS as the listed options to follow the matchup.