Bolts blueliner Victor Hedman has no issue with Dallas captain Jamie Benn, or the hit Benn delivered to him on Thursday night.
Hedman Benn’s hit was “clean,” a shoulder-to-clean check with five minutes left in the second period. Hedman said he had his head down, his eyes on the puck.
“I didn’t see him,” Hedman said of Benn. “I lost track of the puck, tried to get back in position and I had my eyes down on the ice and didn’t see him coming. He’s not a dirty player, he’s a hard working player, a physical player. I admire the way he plays, he finished the check and it was a bang-bang play.”
The hit, which occurred midway through the second period of the Stars’ win at Amalie, forced Hedman from the game entirely. He also sat out Saturday’s win against Buffalo, but sounds as though he’ll make his return to the Lightning lineup on Tuesday in Nashville.
There was some concern about a potential head injury. Hedman has a history with concussions, missing 13 games with one during the ’11-12 campaign.