Stroke isn't an easy word to hear, but Kris Letang has taken huge steps in recovery and is nearing a return to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

PITTSBURGH - For the first time since being diagnosed with a stroke, Kris Letang skated and took in a practice with his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates.

Letang returning to practice was a surprise to many in the Penguins locker room, but he is officially listed as day-to-day.

Fans will know that this is not the first stroke Letang has suffered in his life and he opened up about his experience and how excited he is to be already nearing a return.

“In the past I’ve had migraines a lot,” Letang said. “Usually the timeframe is they last two hours. I get one or maybe two every two months. But, they were happening every three hours. That’s when I made notice of that cycle.”

Letang notified team doctors on November 28^th and an announcement was made the following Wednesday of the diagnosis.

Despite missing games and practices, Letang had been skating and upping his routine on his own.

“Mentally I feel good to be back,” Letang said. “It’s always hard to be on the sideline. I know health comes first and I’m really lucky to have the staff that we have.”

Dr. Dharmesh Vyas is the Penguins head team physician and has been working with the team for over a decade.

Dr. Vyas helped Letang through the recovery of his first stroke in 2014, and said that this quick return isn’t accelerated in any form.

“He’s always surprised us with how well he heals,” Dr. Vyas said. “We don’t think that this is accelerated in any way. We’re taking all of the right precautions to make sure it is safe to go out and play.”

According to Dr. Vyas, Letang’s road to recovery seemed so quick because it was a much faster process.

They didn’t have to do extensive testing to figure out what caused the stroke and Letang’s symptoms have dissipated much faster.

With a practice with his team under his belt, Letang is looking forward to when he can rejoin his teammates on the ice for games.

“I feel pretty good,” Letang said. “When you don’t skate with your team… you can lose that conditioning. Today felt pretty good.”

Letang is closing in on playing again, but he understands some of the obstacles that may get in the way.

“Stroke is a scary word,” Letang said. “Hockey is a passion for me. It’s going to take a lot to drag me out of it. I know the danger. I know all of the risks I’m taking. If there’s none I will resume playing.”

The Penguins and Letang are being as safe as possible in this situation, but it was a huge step forward seeing him back on the ice with his teammates.

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