Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman and alternate captain Kris Letang underwent successful heart surgery, the club announced Wednesday.
The surgery on Letang, who turns 38 on April 24, was to close a patent foramen ovale (small hole in the heart).
The procedure was performed at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital by interventional cardiologist Dr. Conrad Smith and has an expected recovery time of four to six weeks.
He will thus be unavailable for the Penguins’ season finale Thursday at home vs. the Washington Capitals.
Letang appeared in 74 games this season for the Penguins, scoring nine goals with 21 points while averaging 23 minutes, 32 seconds of nightly ice time, leading the club.
Last May, Letang underwent postseason surgery to repair a fractured finger on his left hand, with coach Mike Sullivan noting that he “played through a myriad of injuries” for much of the campaign.
The season prior, 2022-23, was also challenging for Letang from a health perspective, as he suffered a stroke in November, the second of his career (March, 2014).
Letang ultimately was not sidelined long by his second stroke, but he endured a personal tragedy soon thereafter with the death of his father in January of 2023.
Through it all, Letang still suited up for 64 games in 2022-23, scoring 12 goals with 29 assists.
He went on to win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2023, in recognition of his perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
This season marked Letang’s 19th with the Penguins, who originally selected him in the third round (No. 62 overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft.
He ranks third all-time, behind only fellow franchise pillars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, in games played by a Penguins (1,161).
Among defensemen, Letang also is the Penguins’ franchise leader in a multitude of categories, including games, goals (175), assists (597) and points (772).