Hedman's hockey journey comes full circle on Saturday

It was the summer of 1996, the Colorado Avalanche had just won the Stanley Cup and Peter Forsberg had brought the Cup to his hometown Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. In the crowd on that day was six-year-old Victor Hedman and on Saturday, his story will come full circle when the Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman brings the Stanley Cup to Örnsköldsvik.

"So when Forsberg spent his «Cup Day» in Ovik, taking it to several spots, including the library, Olle Hedman, Victor's father, made sure to take his family to see it. The way Olle tells the story, Victor, now the Lightning star defenseman, posed for a photo with hockey's holy grail. But he didn't touch it out of superstition... you know, because, just in case." Joe Smith said in The Athletic following Tampa's Stanley Cup win in 2020.

Örnsköldsvik has been a hockey factory for the last few decades, producing several players that would go on to have long and successful NHL careers. Some of those players include the aforementioned Peter Forsberg, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as well as Markus Naslund, the latter of whom talked with Joe Smith last year about Hedman's importance to Örnsköldsvik.

"Everyone is really proud of him," Naslund said by phone from Ovik. "It's quite unique. Even though a lot of players came from Ovik, we only had three championships through the years. And no Conn Smythe winners. It's good growing up in this city, the way you know there's a way to make it in the NHL, because guys have proven that. But what Victor has done, I mean, he's probably the best defenseman in the world. He's the role model for all the young players coming up now. All the work he does in the community. He's a great ambassador. He's the biggest star we have."

Tomorrow, Hedman will walk into the crowd carrying the Stanley Cup, and who knows, he may inspire a six-year-old to follow in his path and grow up to become an NHL player someday.

Victor Hedman was six years old when Peter Forsberg brought the Stanley Cup home to Örnsköldsvik and he had the chance to go see it.

Tomorrow Hedman will bring the Cup to the same place this photo was taken to share it with the folks in his hometown.

Full circle. pic.twitter.com/2KOhSoOmlE— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 3, 2021

Looks like Victor Hedman is bringing @StanleyCup back to hometown of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden tomorrow. I had a blast visiting Ovik a couple years ago and exploring it's rich hockey history. https://t.co/v3wLTFh7bO «They showed you what's possible.» https://t.co/vep4cc1DQc pic.twitter.com/8e3TU3YYgM— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) September 3, 2021

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