Victor Hedman, a relentless part of the Lightning's push to the Eastern Conference final, was honored Wednesday night with the Norris Trophy, given to the NHL's top defenseman.
"To the Lightning organization, Mr. Jeff Vinik, Steve Yzerman and the coaching staff, thank you for believing in me and putting me in a position to succeed," Hedman said in accepting the award. "To my teammates, obviously I love you guys and I wouldn't be here without you. To the Tampa Bay community and Lightning fans, you guys are the best and thanks for all your support throughout nine years.