Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang out indefinitely after suffering a second stroke
Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang out indefinitely after suffering a second stroke
Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang plays during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -
Kris Letang plays hockey with a grace and inexhaustible fluidity seemingly impervious to the rigors of spending nearly half his life in the NHL.
For the second time in less than a decade, however, a major health scare has brought Letang's career to a halt.
The 35-year-old Montreal native is out indefinitely after suffering a stroke for a second time. Letang reported feeling ill on Monday and was taken to the hospital, where tests confirmed the stroke.
While general manager Ron Hextall said Wednesday this stroke doesn't appear to be as serious as the one Letang sustained in 2014, the Penguins will have to find a way forward at least in the short term without one of their franchise pillars.
"I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn't right," Letang said in a release. "While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. ... I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."
The three-time Stanley Cup champion missed more than two months in 2014 after a stroke, which doctors determined was caused by a small hole in the wall of his heart. He spent Monday feeling off and told team trainers he was dealing with what Hextall described as a migraine headache.
Penguins team physician Dr. Dhamesh Vyas recommended Letang go to the hospital, where tests confirmed the stroke.
"He didn't know (he had a stroke)," Hextall said. "He just knew something wasn't right."
Letang is continuing to undergo tests but felt well enough on Tuesday to be at the arena for Pittsburgh's 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina. He spent the second period chatting with Hextall then addressed his teammates in the locker room afterward in an effort to help allay their concerns.
"I think it was important for Kris to be there because his teammates got to see him in good spirits and that he's doing well," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
Sullivan added initial test results on Letang have been "very encouraging." Letang will continue to undergo testing throughout the week, though he felt good enough in the aftermath to ask Sullivan and Hextall if he could skate, an activity that is off the table for now.
Hextall said he "couldn't even guess" how long the Penguins may be without the married father of two, adding hockey is low on the team's list of concerns about a player who, along with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, has helped the franchise to three Stanley Cups during his 17-year career.
"First and foremost this is about the person and I told Tanger about that last night," Hextall said. "This is Kris Letang, the father and family guy, the Pittsburgh Penguins, that's second."
Letang, a six-time All-Star, has been one of the most durable players in the NHL. His 662 career points (145 goals, 517 assists) are a franchise record for a defenceman. He's averaged well over 24 minutes of playing time over the course of his career, a number that's ticked above 25 minutes per game seven times in eight-plus seasons since he returned from the initial stroke.
The Penguins felt so confident in Letang's durability that they signed him to a six-year contract over the summer rather than let him test free agency for the first time.
"The level of hockey he's played for as long as he's played is absolutely incredible," Hextall said. "The level he's continued to play at at his age, the type of shape he's in ... he's a warrior."
Letang has one goal and 11 assists in 21 games so far this season for Pittsburgh, which hosts Vegas on Thursday night. The Penguins are pretty deep along the blue line, but Sullivan knows he can't try to replace Letang with any one player.
"It's not anything we haven't been faced with in the past and the reality is we have what we have, and we'll figure it out," Sullivan said, adding "it'll be by committee, as it usually is when you replace a player of that stature."
- This report by The Associated Press was first published on Nov. 30, 2022
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall theft.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Three Richmond Hill residents have been arrested after police seized $500,000 in fake gift cards from a “sophisticated forgery lab” while searching multiple local properties last month.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
On the day that Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, there are warnings and statements cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
One person has died after a two-vehicle crash in south London Wednesday night. Police were called to the scene on Bostwick Road around 7:20 p.m. and say there were five people injured in total and all five were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from serious to life-threatening.
Wiarton Willie has predicted an early spring! The groundhog in South Bruce Peninsula didn't see his shadow at 8:07 a.m. on Thursday morning, meaning spring is on the way.
The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is investigating after a handwritten note containing a violent threat at an Attawapiskat arena was found during a hockey tournament prompting an armed response by officers.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario is closed Thursday morning from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson after a collision involving several vehicles, police say.
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
Athabasca University's board of governors has replaced the president who resisted the government's demand to double the distance-learning school's number of employees who live in Athabasca.
Paramedic logs from 2022 are highlighting some of the pressures Regina EMS workers have been facing for months including one instance where a patient died following offload delays at the hospital, the documents indicate.
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
A former professional hockey player well-known for dropping the gloves is trying his hand at acting and will star in another season of the Canadian sitcom Shoresy.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang plays during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)
