The NHL’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ story: Victor Hedman, Ondrej Palat’s pro soccer team eyes promotion

Offseasons were short and downtime was precious for any Tampa Bay Lightning players over the past few years, but especially Victor Hedman. Including the postseason, between 2019-20 through 2021-22, no NHL player logged more than his 6,793 minutes and 45 seconds of ice time. The 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and future Hall of Fame defenseman squeezed every last kilojoule out of his 6-foot-6 frame over that time span. Recovery was thus paramount each summer during the Bolts’ run of two straight Stanley Cup titles and three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

Hedman’s traditional offseason workout program? Not possible. He had to heal first. Though he says he wouldn’t change it for the world, he wasn’t able to “focus on improving on stuff,” physically. It was about breaking even just to get healthy enough for the start of the next season. That included getting whatever rest he could.

The upside? It opened the door to pursuing other interests, and a pitch from his good friend and now-former teammate proved to be a life changer.

Longtime Lightning left winger Ondrej Palat, aka “Pally,” had become close friends with Hedman, aka “Heddy,” during the 10 incredibly successful seasons in which they overlapped as teammates. Hedman’s love of soccer, known in his native Sweden as football of course, was well documented. He was a die-hard fan of Manchester United. Palat had grown up a soccer fan, too, playing it as a kid, rooting for his hometown Czech League club and eventually growing attached to Chelsea, cheering on Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech. Palat had stumbled upon an exciting business opportunity through a friend’s brother, Florida real estate developer Michael Mincberg. He was putting together an investor group to bid for 20 percent of Plymouth Argyle, a soccer team in the English pro third-tier League One, with potential for Hedman and Palat to join up.

Palat was excited but knew the opportunity would mean the world to Hedman in particular.

“I told Heddy, and Heddy was very excited,” Palat told Daily Faceoff. “I wasn’t sure if I should do it, but when I told Heddy there’s a chance, he’s like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’ because it’s a huge opportunity to buy 20 percent of the club in England. Premier League is huge, but I didn’t know the third league in England was unbelievably popular. Heddy explained it to me, and then I understood what a big deal it was and what a good team it is, and we decided to be part of the investment group.”

The idea was irresistible. At the very least, it was a great way for two good friends to remain close after Palat left Tampa as a free agent to sign a five-year, $30 million contract with the New Jersey Devils. 

“We’ll always have this together,” Hedman remembers them telling each other.

Not that they expected to celebrate immediate success, however. Hedman estimates Plymouth Argyle was projected to finish between 14^th and 17^th in the 2022-23 table out of 24 teams following a seventh-place finish in 2021-22. Palat figured a realistic goal was for Plymouth Argyle to reach the top of the table and win promotion to the tier-2 English Football League Championship within five years. Hedman, acting as a handy guide for a reporter poorly versed in the soccer world, explains that the top two teams in League One earn automatic promotion every year, while the third- through sixth-place clubs play a mini tournament to determine a third promoted club. The bottom three teams in the table get relegated to League Two.

“That’s the fun part about football: you’re always on the edge,” Hedman said. “You can’t tank and hope for the first-round pick. It’s all about performing year after year and trying to put as good a team as you can on the field.”

No one could’ve predicted what caliber of team Plymouth Argyle would put on the field this season. With just eight games remaining in their schedule, they sit in first place, inching toward a promotion to the Championship League in Hedman and Palat’s first season as part owners.  

They find themselves not just giddy talking about the team in their group chat, but on the edge of their seats once or twice a week, whether that means a hotel bed on the road or a dressing room stall. The experience of watching something that is yours is intoxicating. Hedman finds it more nerve-wracking than playing, and he has become superstitious about his football club. When he spoke to Daily Faceoff last week, he had done the math on the Lightning’s record when they played the same day as Plymouth Argyle: 5-1-1, he said proudly.

“Usually it’s a good sign that when they win and we play, we’re going to follow later that night (with a win), Hedman said. “It’s a good omen. Guys are on board with it. We have a big scarf in one of our training rooms at the rink, too. So a lot of guys have become Argyle fans as well.”

“It’s fun because we know how maybe the players feel too, because we’re professional athletes, so there’s the ups and downs,” Palat said.

There’s an ability to relate, but the duo cannot be hands on with their team just yet. Palat sees himself as “like a fan,” admiring Argyle from afar. Because their playing calendar overlaps with the NHL schedule, it hasn’t been possible for Hedman or Palat to see their club competing live yet, though they’ve been in touch with manager Steven Schumacher and CEO Andrew Parkinson and hope to make the trip out there this summer with their fellow investors.

Until then? The former hockey teammates turned soccer teammates are soaking in every victory and dreaming of an even bigger ultimate goal: winning the Championship circuit and someday making it to the world’s best football stage, the English Premier League. First, there’s a matter of sewing up that promotion in the coming weeks.

“We don’t want just to get promoted and then just get relegated,” Palat said. “We want to get promoted and be part of the Championship League. And I think everybody wants to be in the Premier League. Our long-term goal is to be in Premier League, but we’re not focusing on that. We’re focusing on being a competitive team in the Championship League.”

It’s impossible not to ponder the parallels to another high-profile story about two unlikely soccer investors having breakout success. So the answer is yes: Hedman and Palat are extremely familiar with “Welcome to Wrexham,” the docuseries chronicling actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s purchase of an English pro soccer club. Wrexham currently holds down second place in the National League, two divisions down from Argyle in League One.

“For me, it’s a lot different: I’m not a Hollywood superstar,” Hedman said with a laugh. “They’re two leagues below us. But it’s almost certain they’re going to get promoted this year into League Two. They’ve done a tremendous job. If you’re look at the players that they have in that league. Super Paul Mullin. They could probably play in League One or even the Championship. Phil Parkinson as their manager, really well respected in England. They’ve got a great group and sell out every game and get a lot of people all over the world to come see them. They’ve done a great job promoting the team, and getting that documentary has helped the team grow. So you tip your hat and hopefully in the future you’re going to be one of the teams they play against.”

For Palat, it was a different streaming series that won his heart. He swears by “Sunderland ’Til I Die” because of the way it paints a picture of English football fans’ passion.

“It’s crazy for the people. It’s their lives,” he said. “They’re talking on Sunday morning in church about their soccer team. It’s amazing how much it means for the people in England.”

Palat’s romanticism speaks to the level of commitment he and Hedman have to their club. This isn’t about publicity or profit. It’s about a passion project.

Hedman and Palat are in it for the long haul. Hedman hints at wanting to do even more in the sport after his hockey career is over – and even teases another mysterious announcement coming this summer when it comes to his involvement in football.

Until then, they’ll enjoy their new love from a distance and focus on battling their way through the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they could meet at some point as first-time adversaries.