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Retired Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon shared his thoughts on his ex-teammate Victor Hedman. Maroon retired from the NHL after the 2024-25 season. He played his last season for the Chicago Blackhawks, his 14th year in the league. He won three Stanley Cups in his career while playing for the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay.
On the NHL Network broadcast on Wednesday, Maroon praised Hedman's size and skating.
"He's a big guy," Maroon said. "I mean, look at him. He's, what, six foot six, and he's 240 pounds."
"And I think people don't really talk about how good of a skater he really is, how fluent he is. He can get up and down the ice. He's, you know, obviously, the fourth man in the rush, but he's also the first man back, right? So his offensive ability has really taken off the last few years."
Maroon won two Stanley Cups with Hedman during his time with the Lightning, in 2020 and 2021. Hedman averaged almost 20 points in the three playoff appearances from 2021 to 2022, all the while contributing on the blue line.
"Obviously, in our cup runs, he won the Conn Smythe there, and he had 10 goals," Maroon said. "I mean, his offensive abilities (are) off the charts,"
Maroon said that other than his offense, Hedman is extremely good at defense.
"And the way he can move the puck, the way he can jump up the play," Maroon said. "But I think his defense ability, too, his stick is just amazing. It's hard to get around him. He has a big reach. He's a big body, like Gruber said, and he's got the full package."
Hedman has appeared in 16 NHL seasons with the Lightning, and his best season came in 2021-22 with 85 points. Despite being a defenseman, he has produced 171 goals and 794 career points in 1,131 games. He is signed to a four-year, $32 million contract through 2029.
Victor Hedman failed to take Lightning deep in the playoffs
Victor Hedman had another great year with Tampa Bay in 2024-25. He amassed 15 goals and 51 assists in 79 games. He finished with 66 points and a +18 rating. In the playoffs, he produced another three assists in five games.
But the Lightning lost to the Florida Panthers in the first round. They fell in five matches for the second consecutive seasons, but they have not won a round since 2022. Hedman remains their top defenseman and team leader.
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