Lightning's Hedman 'an option really soon' but out for must-win Game 6, Cooper says

Thousands of Montreal Canadiens fans were downtown hoping their Habs close out the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

MONTREAL — Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper says captain Victor Hedman is nearing a return but won’t play Friday night with the Lightning facing elimination.

The Lightning trail the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 heading into Game 6 of their first-round series at the Bell Centre.

“He’s going to be the option really soon,” Cooper said. “It’s hard for me to sit here and say whether he’s going to play in this series or not. This has a maximum of two games left. The series, regardless, is over in 60 hours or whatever it is.

“Our anticipation is that our season isn’t going to end tonight, so take it for what it is, but he’s not playing tonight.”

Cooper said earlier in the matchup that Hedman was unlikely to play in the series.

Hedman skated as a regular during Tampa Bay’s morning practice, but hasn’t played since March 19.

The 35-year-old Swede — a Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in 2020 — took a temporary leave for personal reasons on March 25, rejoining the team early in the first-round series.

He was limited to 33 games in the regular season, posting one goal and 16 assists after also missing time due to elbow surgery and an undisclosed injury.

“It may seem like, ‘Oh, Jon Cooper’s got a gut feeling.’ Yeah, a lot of decisions you make sometimes you go with your gut, but not in situations where guys have been hurt, injured, there’s a whole process to that,” Cooper said. “I would never put a player into a situation where the player wasn’t 100 per cent comfortable.”

Cooper did not reveal whether forward Nick Paul or defenceman Charles-Édouard D’Astous would draw back into the lineup.

Paul missed Game 5’s 3-2 loss in Tampa, Fla., with an illness and D’Astous hasn’t played since he was injured on a high hit from Canadiens forward Josh Anderson in Game 1.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, were expected to run with the same lineup after holding a well-attended optional skate Friday morning.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press