Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman’s absence in the final stretch of the regular season and during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was to address his mental health, he revealed in a statement Tuesday.

Hedman, who also missed a significant amount of time this season due to injury, addressed the situation in a statement shared by the team. 

“I’ve spent most of my life in this game, and nearly all of my career with this organization. Wearing this jersey – and serving as captain – is the greatest responsibility of my professional life,” his statement began. 

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“That responsibility doesn’t only apply on the ice. Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.

“I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.” 

Hedman expanded on his statement during his exit interview with the media on Tuesday, adding that he feels “way better” and that it was the “right decision” for him. 

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“This is something that exists in our game more than people see. If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters,” he said Tuesday. “I’m proud of this team, and I look forward to what’s ahead.”

Hedman, who spent his entire 17-year NHL career with the Lightning, missed a majority of the season with an elbow injury that required surgery in December. He returned in time for the Olympic break, where he played for Sweden, before being sidelined again before the quarterfinal game against Team USA.

After playing in just 33 games this season, Hedman said he was looking forward to returning next year. 

Tampa Bay was eliminated from the playoffs after suffering a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 on Sunday. The loss marked the organization’s fourth straight first-round exit.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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