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Victor Hedman Reveals the Severe Injury He Battled Through the Playoffs vs Panthers

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 2, 2025 4:42 PM ET

Hockey players are renowned for being tough, and now that's shown again as Victor Hedman has revealed that he played through a broken foot in the playoffs as Tampa Bay were eliminated in five games by the Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning went down in five games to their rival Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and today, we are getting plenty of fallout from the defeated team as they go through their exit interviews with the media.

Perhaps the most intriguing story of all comes from General Manager Julien Brisebois, who opens up on the injuries his team played through in the series, revealing that captain Victor Hedman played through a brutal injury in this one.

According to Brisebois, Hedman played through a broken foot for the five games, and while he still contributed well, this shouldn't come as any surprise given he wasn't at the level we've become accustomed too from Hedman.

At this time of year, almost no one in the league is playing healthy, but to play five games in the most intense atmosphere in sports with a broken foot is another level of toughness, one that hockey players are praised for consistently.

Thankfully, it appears as though Hedman will be healthy and ready to go when the 2025/26 season begins, but after another Stanley Cup Playoffs disappointment this season, plenty of changes could be coming in the off-season.

Ultimately, this is just yet more proof that hockey players are the toughest athletes on the planet, and with three rounds of the post-season yet remaining in 2025, this certainly won't be the last story we hear of players playing through brutal injuries.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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