The Swede life of Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman

NEW YORK – Victor Hedman still wants to fly.

He was going for his pilot’s license before joining the NHL in 2009, a personal passion born from his grandfather’s service as a military pilot. “I put that on ice a little bit,” said Hedman. “Once I’m done playing, I’ll try and get the license.”

So he’s never crept to the front of the Tampa Bay Lightning charter jet while everyone’s sleeping, and asked to take the controls for a few moments?

“Never,” he chuckled. “I would never put everyone in that situation.”

But Hedman is basically a pilot on the ice. He’s the leader on the team’s backline. He combines with his co-pilot to create smooth travels for his team. And even for a player standing at 6-foot-6, he can fly.

“He’s a great, great player. I don’t think anybody looking at Victor Hedman is seeing a lot of weaknesses. He’s the total package,” said Anton Stralman, Hedman’s defensive partner this season. “I don’t see any obstacles in his way. He can be a really good player for a long time, and already is. I’m just going to enjoy being on that ride.”

Stralman left the New York Rangers last season to sign a 5-year, $22.5-million contract with the Lightning. He was a darling of the analytics crowd as one of the best possession defensemen on the Rangers and arguably the best defensemen for them during their Stanley Cup Final run last spring.

He and Hedman didn’t know each other before Stralman arrived in Tampa. They’re still getting to know each other. Hedman has been limited to eight games this season thanks to a broken finger.

But the chemistry between the two has been instant, and the potential for this pairing to click in a big way is palpable.

“You have a duo like that, that can come over the boards and play 25 minutes a game … god that makes it easy for a head coach," said Jon Cooper.

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Hedman, 23, and Stralman, 28, are in the visitor’s dressing room at Madison Square Garden. It’s an odd feeling Stralman’s still getting used to, having dressed in the much larger Rangers room for years.

Hedman stands up speaking with Swedish media, his 6-6 frame casting a shadow on Stralman, who sits in front of his locker.

“He’s big. Pretty big size,” said Stralman.

The two play different games. Hedman is more offensive-minded under Jon Cooper than he was in his previous NHL seasons. His physicality has matched his imposing frame.

“I’m the skill guy. He’s the bad guy,” joked Stralman.

Both players want to possess the puck, but Stralman said he’s more than content to allow his partner to get his Erik Karlsson on during the game. “I just give him the puck and let him skate. And I’ll have the best seat in the house to watch him,” he said.

Hedman’s points per game jumped in the first 82 games he’s played for Cooper, at 0.79 points per game. Previous to that, it never cracked 0.50 per game.

“That’s why I got drafted by this club. I want to create a lot of plays, be effective on both ends of the ice,” he said.

When Cooper was hired last season, he recognized Hedman had the weight of expectations on him as a former second overall pick.

“I know Hedman prior to me being here probably took a little heat for being a second overall pick not panning out,” he said. “But when it finally clicked for him, he’s a hell of a player.”

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Call it “Swenglish.”

It’s a combination of their native tongue and adopted tongue that Stralman and Hedman use to communicate on the ice. “We have like a secret language,” said Stralman.

But their European influence goes beyond dialect. The way the Lightning play defense is influenced, or at least resembles, the kind of play the duo experienced growing up in the Swedish system.

There’s less stopping and starting. Playing the angles. There’s pressure in all parts of the ice. For some teams, the weak side defenseman hangs back; in Cooper’s system, it’s less about skating back than challenging the opposing offense.

“But it’s a different kind of defense here with the smaller ice,” Stralman said, “and if you don’t make the good read, you can get penalized for it.”

But that’s the Lightning system: It’s risk and reward. Cooper is content to give up an occasional goal if it means preventing several more – or scoring a few of their own – with their pressure.

It’s a style both defensemen enjoy playing and it’s a style that plays to their strengths, especially Hedman.

“The style we play allows me to play my game,” he said.

And his game could eventually bring him, and his team, some postseason hardware.

He was getting Norris Trophy hype at the start of the season. Can he reignite that campaign?

“You can’t really go around and think about that. It’s a tough, physical game. It’s always tough when it happens, but you can’t play the ‘what if’ game if you go through with it,” Hedman said. “I believe in my game, and I believe in myself.”

Cooper believes he has the right partner, too.

“I’ve said this before about Stralman,” said Cooper. “He may never win the Norris Trophy, but his partner probably will.”