Hedstrom Leaves Team

Mighty Duck forward Jonathan Hedstrom left the team with permission to return to his native Sweden for personal reasons and is not expected to be back for the playoffs.

Hedstrom left Monday after being a healthy scratch for the sixth consecutive game Sunday in the Ducks’ 3-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. The 28-year-old forward recorded one assist in the first three games of their first-round series against Calgary.

General Manager Brian Burke said he spoke with Hedstrom, and the two agreed that he should return home. Hedstrom’s wife, Helene, is expecting the couple’s second child soon and she returned home with their young daughter, Tilly, a few months ago.

“As an organization, we always try to put our players first when we can,” Burke said.

Hedstrom signed a two-year contract in August after spending most of his professional career in Sweden, including the last two full seasons.

In his first full NHL season, the left wing had 13 goals and 14 assists in 79 games.

Center Samuel Pahlsson said Hedstrom had difficulty being apart from his family.

“I know he was having a tough time,” Pahlsson said.

Burke said he hoped Hedstrom would return next season to fulfill his contract.

“That’s our plan,” he said.

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Scott Niedermayer was sitting at his locker stall and had his right leg up and stretched across a bench. A thick ice pack sat on his right knee.

Should that be a cause for concern? Not so, according to Niedermayer, who had arthroscopic surgery in February.

“There’s nothing here,” the Duck captain said. “It’s feeling better than it did two months ago. I just haven’t really had time to rest it” other than after the surgery.

Niedermayer has two goals and four assists in nine playoff games.

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As a steady stream of praise has been directed toward his team after its overwhelming performances in the first two games against the Avalanche, Duck Coach Randy Carlyle was intent on keeping attention on tonight’s Game 3.

“You guys can look at the history,” Carlyle said in addressing reporters after practice. “I’m looking more at preparing for the task at hand. What we did previously means nothing. The most important game of the series is [tonight]. And that’s where our preparation is.”

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Rookie forward Corey Perry, who has sat out the first two games against Colorado, said his injured right knee is improving. Carlyle said he “is a coach’s decision from here on in” and will be available tonight.