Hedman won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. He won the Norris Trophy in 2017-18, when he was voted the NHL’s best defenseman, and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020, when he was voted the Stanley Cup Playoffs most valuable player.
“It’s going fast, and enjoying every single second of it,” said Hedman, who has missed 34 games due to injuries this season. “I told other guys, being a little selfish, for me to get this extra game was huge. I haven’t played a whole lot this year, so get the timing, get the legs into it and get ready for tomorrow.”
Karlsson won the Norris three times, with the Ottawa Senators in 2011-12 and 2014-15, then with the San Jose Sharks in 2022-23. He ranks eighth in NHL history among players born in Sweden with 905 points (204 goals, 701 assists) in 1,135 games. Among defensemen, he’s second, behind only Nicklas Lidstrom, who had 1,142 points (264 goals, 878 assists) in 1,564 games. He’s just in front of Hedman, third with 807 points (171 goals, 636 assists) in 1,152 games.
“I came to play these games,” said Karlsson, who now plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins. “I think everybody else did too. We expected to play [the Americans], and we get to do it tomorrow, so it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be an experience. We’re going to try and take care of the things that we can control, and whatever they do, it shouldn’t matter for us, and we just hope our best is better than their best.”
