TORONTO – Victor Hedman missed Game 2 of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an undisclosed injury.
The six-foot-seven defenceman, who didn’t see action after the first period of Tuesday’s Game 1, took part in the morning skate, but didn’t join his teammates for warmups ahead of puck drop Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.
The 2018 Norris Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game in 2022-23.
Head coach Jon Cooper said before the game Hedman’s injury was new, and not something that carried over from the regular season. The Lightning announced shortly before the opening faceoff that Hedman is listed as day-to-day.
Tampa, which picked up an emphatic 7-3 victory in the opener, was also without defenceman Erik Cernak thanks to an illegal check to the head from Michael Bunting in Game 1. The Toronto winger was suspended three games by the NHL.
Zach Bogosian and Haydn Fleury entered the lineup for Tampa on defence in place of Hedman and Cernak.
Lightning centre Michael Eyssimont, meanwhile, didn’t suit up Thursday after taking a huge hit from Leafs blue-liner Jake McCabe in the opener.
The Lightning did get some positive injury news with the return of forward Tanner Jeannot from a leg injury suffered earlier this month.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Florida for Game 3 on Saturday. Game 4 goes Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2023.
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