Every save, every rebound, every touch mattered. If he didn't excel -- immediately -- his chances at an NHL career would have fizzled just as quickly.
His pivotal game came March 17 at Tampa, the night after his successful debut. He had stopped only 15 of 20 shots in a 5-1 loss to the Lightning and was devastated afterward, sitting at his locker, staring straight ahead.
But as microphones and cameras surrounded him, he stood and answered every reporter's question by blaming himself. Even though his teammates had played abysmally in front of him. Even though by acknowledging that he didn't play his best game, he was risking never seeing another one in the NHL.
His final comment: "I'm very sad."
That, as much as any game Hedberg has won, carried plenty of weight in the Penguins' locker room.
"He's the kind of guy you try to help," defenseman Darius Kasparaitis said. "You see his effort. In every game, every practice, he works hard. You see a guy doing that, you want to help him succeed."
"That game meant a lot," Johnston said. "The kid showed he doesn't get rattled."
Hedberg hasn't lost since then.
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