The sweat drips from Hedman as he stands in his undershirt in Bell Centre's inner sanctum late on Sunday evening, Swedish time, and can put NHL aside.
Now it's about the Four Nations. Tre Kronor's captain has shown top form with a goal and an assist in the meeting with Montreal – the fourth match in six days for Tampa Bay before the national team adventure.
It's a program that even by NHL standards is massive.
Yet it's the smile that dominates his face.
The first major tournament with NHL players in almost nine years brings out the emotions.
"Make sure to be ready"
So when asked how his body and head are doing, he responds lightning-fast:
Magnificent. You don't get the opportunity to play for Tre Kronor every day, so it's just a matter of focusing everything on recovery and making sure to be ready on Wednesday, says Hedman about Tre Kronor's meeting with Canada, which takes place on Wednesday night, Swedish time.
Tre Kronor gathered on Sunday evening and have time for two practices and a warm-up match before the premiere.
So it's quick shifts.
What do you focus on then?
How we want to play as a team, formations, defense pairs, and lines, we get two good days. Everyone is so skilled, so it will go pretty quickly to set up the system and for everyone to buy into it, he says.
Sunday evening's gathering was focused on socializing with teammates, taking it easy, and watching the Super Bowl together.
Olympic Games around the corner
The back ace is Tre Kronor's most merited player in the Four Nations with two Stanley Cup titles and a World Championship gold. He has turned 34 years old, but is still one of the NHL's best defensemen.
The biggest tournaments, with the very best, have only been one edition of – the World Cup 2016.
In the Olympic Games two years earlier – the last one where NHL participated – he was surprisingly overlooked by then-coach Pär Mårts.
So no wonder Hedman is looking forward to the Four Nations.
It's big, it's a different setup, but we have a generation that can win, and then it's also a taste of the Olympic Games, says Hedman about next year's games in Milan, where NHL is back.
13/2 (night to Thursday, 02.00): Canada–Sweden.
14/2 (02.00): USA–Finland.
15/2 (19.00): Finland–Sweden.
16/2 (02.00): USA–Canada.
17/2 (19.00): Canada–Finland.
18/2 (02.00): Sweden–USA.
21/2 (02.00) Final.
The first four matches are played in Montreal and the last three in Boston.
Goalkeepers: Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota, Samuel Ersson, Philadelphia, Linus Ullmark, Ottawa.
Defensemen: Rasmus Andersson, Calgary, Jonas Brodin, Minnesota, Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo, Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton, Gustav Forsling, Florida, Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay, Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh.
Forwards: Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton, Jesper Bratt, New Jersey, Leo Carlsson, Anaheim, Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota, Filip Forsberg, Nashville, Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles, Elias Lindholm, Boston, William Nylander, Toronto, Gustav Nyquist, Nashville, Elias Pettersson, Vancouver, Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh, Lucas Raymond, Detroit, Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers.
