On March 25, the team announced Hedman was taking a leave of absence for personal reasons.
Hedman is currently with the Lightning, who open the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday (5:45 p.m. ET; The Spot, HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).
“Vic’s been around us,” Cooper said. “He’s slowly starting to get some ice time and stuff like that, and get himself hopefully back. … I’ve been here a long time, he trumps me. And he’s seen it all, I think it’s vital and it’s great.”
Following Game 2 in Tampa on Tuesday, the series will shift to Montreal for Games 3 and 4, beginning on Friday.
“We love having him around, because he’s our captain, he has a wealth of experience, so he’s going to be with us and on this trip,” Cooper said. “But you know, as I said, probably not available right now, and it’s playoff time, so we keep those things close to the vest.”
