SAD NEWS: Tamp Bay Lightening’s Defenseman rejects 4 years Contract.
Tampa Bay Lightning lock down defenseman Victor Hedman with a 4-year contract extension.
Before addressing his future with the Tampa Bay Lightning, star defenseman Victor Hedman wanted to take a moment to reminisce about the past.
Especially, his friendship of the past 15 seasons with Steven Stamkos, the longtime face of the franchise who left in free agency after failing to agree to a new contract with the club they helped win consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021.
“It’s not something that anyone expected. The same goes for me,” Hedman said Tuesday after signing a four-year, $32 million extension that will keep him in a Tampa Bay uniform through the 2028-29 season.
Stamkos, the team’s career scoring leader, landed a deal with the Nashville Predators for the same contract length and monetary value.
“It’s going to be hard to imagine going into our locker room, and going into Amalie Arena, and not seeing him on the ice,” Hedman said. “It’s kind of super, super weird. But at the end of the day, hockey is a business and this is what it’s come to.”
Stamkos, 34, entered the NHL with the Lightning as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft.
Tampa Bay selected Hedman second overall a year later, and the teenagers evolved into cornerstones of a franchise that’s been one of the league’s most successful over the past decade-plus.
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