Lightning captain Victor Hedman taking leave of absence

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman is taking a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons, the team announced on Wednesday.

Hedman, a defenseman, logged just 4:44 of ice time before exiting Tampa Bay's 6-2 victory versus the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday due to an illness. He has sat out the last three games for the Lightning (44-21-5, 93 points), who host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

"No further details will be shared, and the team asks that his privacy be respected...