Hedman says not going to the Olympics hurts, but winning another Cup will make up for it
There's no question the decision to not go to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is a painful one for NHLers. For many, it could very well be their last chance to represent their country at the prestigious tournament. Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Viktor Hedman said while he understands the reasoning, it's still not ideal.
" I understand that no one can control what is happening in the world right now, but it's sad," said Hedman. "I have been looking forward to the Olympics for a long time. This will hurt for a long time
Hedman, who had already been named to Sweden's Olympic roster before the plug was pulled, added he has a plan to make up for it.
"We'll go for another Stanley Cup. That will be a good make up for us," said Hedman.
If Tampa Bay were to win the Cup again this year, they would be the first NHL team to three-peat since the New York Islander in the early 1980s. That team actually won four in a row from 1980 to 1983.
It's not really a stretch to think the Lightning could complete the task this season. Tee team is currently first overall in the NHL with 44 points and shows no signs of slowing down.
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 4, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Brett Howden | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mark Jankowski | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noah Hanifin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||