Spotting Kris Letang at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice facility constitutes far from any remarkable development, given it’s been a pillar of his day-to-day life over nearly two decades with the organization.
But one day removed from heart surgery? That did come as somewhat surprising, although perhaps less so for those who know him best.
“He’s a maniac,” fellow defenseman Erik Karlsson said.
The Penguins announced Wednesday morning that Letang, who turns 38 on April 24, underwent surgery to close a patent foramen ovale (small hole in the heart).
The successful procedure was performed Tuesday at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital by interventional cardiologist Dr. Conrad Smith and has an expected recovery time of four to six weeks.
Letang, who has suffered two strokes (2014, 2022) during his 19-year playing career, has had the option to get the procedure done for many years.
With the Penguins eliminated from postseason contention and one game remaining to be played Thursday night, Letang, in consultation with the club’s coaches and medical staff, opted to take care of the surgery now.
“Given the circumstance with Kris right now — he’s banged up, he’s dealing with a lot of bumps and bruises — collectively, we thought as a group it made the most sense to have this procedure done at this particular time,” coach Mike Sullivan said.
“It isn’t anything that caused it. It was just something that has been an ongoing discussion for a long period of time now. And we just thought this was the opportune time to do it.”
For the Penguins, seeing Letang in the flesh so soon after surgery offered tangible evidence that their teammate and friend is already on the road to recovery, putting minds at ease.
“We saw him walking around a bit this morning here at the rink,” goalie Alex Nedeljkovic said. “We saw him, he was in good spirits as usual, so we’re happy to see him and have him back. I expected him to be in bed for a week or so, or maybe not even home for a week after that. You’re talking about heart surgery — it’s big stuff.
“To see him a day removed from surgery already driving himself to the rink, walking around — it’s great and definitely lifts the mood up. Especially for a guy like that who’s got a funny, quirky personality. It’s fun being around him so it’s nice seeing him around the rink.”
Letang, the Penguins’ all-time leader in games played (1,161), goals (175), assists (597) and points (772) by a defenseman, has navigated through a fair share of ailments since making his NHL debut Oct. 21, 2006.
Notable health hurdles for Letang — in addition to his two strokes — include concussions, a broken foot and hand during the 2014 playoffs and neck surgery to repair a herniated disk in 2017.
Letang also underwent another surgery at the end of the 2023-24 campaign to repair a fractured finger.
Sullivan’s note at the end of last season that Letang played through “a myriad of injuries for a long time” would be applicable for many of his NHL campaigns, if not a majority.
“He’s been through a lot,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “I’m sure he’s had some difficult moments and decisions. But he’s handled it as good as you possibly can. His attitude, his mindset is pretty incredible, pretty strong. It’s that stubbornness, I think, that’s served him well.”
Despite being sidelined repeatedly over the years, Letang, who finished this season with nine goals and 21 assists in 74 games, has always managed to bounce back.
And not in a diminished capacity either, as Letang has averaged north of 24 minutes per game in 14 of his 19 NHL seasons, leading the Penguins with 23:32 per night in 2024-25.
As Letang continues to battle through this latest health challenge, teammates can’t help but marvel at his resilience.
“He just keeps going,” Nedeljkovic said. “Keeps fighting, keeps playing. Things haven’t gone great for everybody these last few years but there’s been a couple constants — it’s his attitude, his effort and his work ethic. It’s a great example of why he’s been able to play for so long and play at a high level.”