Lightning Defenseman Victor Hedman Out 3-to-6 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

The NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning have lost All-Star defenseman Victor Hedman for three to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

Chris O'Meara/AP

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning have lost All-Star defenseman Victor Hedman for three to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

Tests on Friday confirmed the severity of the injury, which looked like it might have been much worse when Hedman was helped from the ice following a knee-to-knee collision with Calgary's Garnet Hathaway on Thursday night.

Hedman, who's in his ninth NHL season, was hit on the side of his left knee and could not put any weight on his left skate as he headed to the bench late in the second period of a 5-1 loss to the Flames.

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The Lightning, who have a league-best record of 31-10-3, don't play again until hosting Las Vegas on Thursday.

Hedman, third in Norris Trophy balloting last season, has six goals and 27 assists in 44 games.

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