He hasn't been cleared to return, but Kris Letang is sticking around his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates during his recovery.
PITTSBURGH - Kris Letang may be out indefinitely since suffering a stroke, but he’s made sure to stay around his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates while he works on returning to the ice.
From the moment the Penguins announced the stroke diagnosis, it has been noted that Letang is in doing well and is in good spirits.
Whether it’s a game day or practice, Letang has been around just about every day; he has been skating on his own but not in any heavy capacity.
Letang’s teammates are excited that he is still around the team and able to remain in a positive mood.
“It’s been great just having him around the room,” Brian Dumoulin said. “It’s good to see that he can get up, move around. Still come to the rink and see us and still interact with us.”
Up until a couple of weeks ago, Letang and Dumoulin were the long-time duo that anchored the Penguins first defensive pairing.
While Dumoulin hasn’t been sharing a blue line with Letang, he is still thankful for the comradery Letang has brought over the years.
“He’s been there since I first started,” Dumoulin said. “We’ve grown together and played a lot together.”
Despite no clearance to play or skate with the team, Letang has been by the team’s side.
After skating on his own, Letang was standing by the benches wacthing his teammates run drills.
He made sure to get a few friendly chirps in when P.O. Joseph and Kasperi Kapanen both had tumbles to the ice.
“I think it’s great for the guys,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “They’re more than just teammates, they’re close friends. He’s part of the social fabric of the locker room.”
Sullivan noted that being around the team isn’t just a moral boost for the team, but also for Letang himself.
“Just his presence is good for all of us,” Sullivan said. “Everyone sees how well he’s doing. It’s also good for Kris to be around the group. I look at it as a win on both sides.”
There is no timetable for when Letang will be cleared for a full practice let alone a return to game play, but him being around the team will always be a confidence boost for everyone.
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