Victor Hedman leaves the Lightning...

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Wednesday that defenseman Victor Hedman will be taking a temporary leave of absence from the team for personal reasons with no further information being provided or a timeline on his return.

The only explanation that came with the announcement was a statement that read: "No further details will be shared, and the team asks that his privacy be respected at this time."

Hedman was not in uniform for the Bolts' contest against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, missing a third straight game without any clear explanation. When asked what Hedman is dealing with, head coach Jon Cooper said, “He’s just not playing (Tuesday), but we’ll see after that.”

The star blue liner has registered one goal, 16 assists, 50 shots on net, 44 blocked shots and 19 hits this season. Injuries have limited Hedman to just 33 games.

The 35-year-old veteran defenseman is is in his 17th NHL season and in the first year of a four-year, $8 million average annual value extension he signed two summers ago.

We can only send prayers at this time for Hedman and his entourage as the reasons behind this leave of absence remains confidential.