Victor Hedman has spent most of his 17-year NHL career looking nearly indestructible.
The 6-foot-7, 244-pound Tampa Bay Lightning captain has won two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Norris Trophy while establishing himself as one of the best defencemen of his generation.
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But incredible talent, success and physical strength don’t make anyone immune to mental health issues.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy dlscuss whether Travis Green faces extra pressure this season.
In an interview with NHL.com’s Dan Rosen this week, Hedman went into greater detail about his mental health struggles last season. It’s a health situation that remains misunderstood and carries stigma, especially in a sport where players still feel pressure to suck it up and play through the pain.
The 35-year-old described experiencing performance anxiety and pressure in his chest as soon as game days arrived. Mistakes he would normally shake off began staying with him.
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“It kind of locks you up,” Hedman told NHL.com. “You make a mistake and in the past you’d be able to shake it off, but I couldn’t do that.”
Hedman had already endured a difficult season physically. An undisclosed injury cost him 12 games in November before elbow surgery sidelined him for another 22. He returned for three games before the Olympic break and represented Sweden in Milan, but an injury during warmups kept him out of their quarter-final elimination loss to Team USA.
After returning to Tampa Bay, Hedman played 12 more games. His final appearance came March 19 against Vancouver, when he logged less than five minutes of ice time before leaving the game.
He then stepped away from the Lightning to focus on his physical and mental health. Hedman continued skating during the playoffs and believes he might have returned had Tampa Bay advanced to round 2, but the Lightning fell in 7 games to Montreal.
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Hedman finished with one goal and 17 points in 33 games, easily the lowest offensive output of his NHL career.
His decision to speak publicly about his issues immediately brought back memories of Linus Ullmark’s leave of absence in Ottawa.
The Senators’ starting goalie also stepped away from hockey last season after experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. His leave began after he was pulled from a Dec. 27 game in Toronto and lasted about a month.
Shortly before returning, Ullmark sat down for an emotional interview with TSN’s Claire Hanna and revealed that Hedman had become one of his biggest sources of support through his battle.
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“He really helped me sort out things and things that I was going through and that I’m still going through,” Ullmark said of Hedman. “So I’ve got huge love. My respect for him went even further up.”
For most Sens fans who heard that interview, it probably didn’t dawn on them at the time that Hedman may have been actively battling the same issues of his own down in Tampa.
Hedman still reached out and offered the benefit of his own experience working with a therapist and supporting mental health initiatives. When Hedman subsequently needed to step away himself, he followed the same advice he had helped provide to Ullmark.
Ullmark’s leave of absence didn’t instantly solve everything. But after his leave and then the Olympic break, he was a much better goalie.
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He had a 14-8-5 record with a 2.95 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage when his leave began.
However, he returned to the crease Jan. 31 and went 14-4-3 over the remainder of the regular season, improving his save percentage to .904 during that stretch. He finished 28-12-8 and helped Ottawa reach the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
Although the Senators were swept by Carolina in the opening round, Ullmark was dynamite in goal. He posted a 2.03 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in four games while Ottawa managed only five goals in the series.
Now it’s almost time for Hedman’s comeback. He’s now preparing for his 18th NHL season and says he is healthy, motivated and confident. And Ullmark was probably right there in his corner, helping him get to this point and returning the favour.
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Not only did the two men step away and get the help they needed, but they’ve made it easier for the next person to feel it’s okay to do the same.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest headlines below:
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