Letang out indefinitely for Penguins after stroke

The 35-year-old defenseman is not experiencing any lasting effects of the stroke but will have tests over the next week, general manager Ron Hextall said. The condition is not believed to be career threatening.

Letang did not take part in an optional morning skate Tuesday and was scratched prior to a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He attended that game, talking to Hextall and going into the locker room after.

“I think, first and foremost, Kris is doing well considering what happened,” Hextall said on Wednesday. “He was at the game last night. I chatted with him for a while, actually the whole second period. When [coach Mike Sullivan] addressed the team after the game and let the players know exactly what happened, Kris actually came into the room.

“He wanted to assure everybody that he’s doing as well as possible. There’s no lingering effects right now at this point from the stroke. … Thus far, everything is looking as positive as it could be.”

After practicing fully Monday, Letang experienced a migraine and called head athletic trainer Chris Stewart. He was told by head team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas to go to the hospital immediately.

Letang was not aware he had a stroke.

“He just knew something wasn’t right,” Hextall said. “That’s when he contacted our medical staff. That’s when he went to the hospital to get some tests done. That’s when it was revealed. But he did not suspect or know that he had a stroke.”

Letang previously was out more than two months after having a stroke at some point before the Penguins played at the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 30, 2014. Tests revealed he was born with a very small hole in the wall of his heart, which typically closes on its own in most people.

“He understands. He’s been through this before,” Hextall said. “This was much less severe than what happened eight years ago. So I think there’s a lot of comfort in that for him. I think Kris has a lot of confidence in our medical staff.”

The three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017) returned on April 9 that season, with four points (one goal, three assists) in the final three games before scoring six (two goals, four assists) in 13 games during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Since his first stroke, Letang has played 543 regular-season games and 69 playoff games.

“I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn’t right,” Letang said. “While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. It is important for me that my teammates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon.”

Letang normally plays on the top defense pair, most recently with Marcus Pettersson. Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel entered the lineup Tuesday and Brian Dumoulin played with Jeff Petry on the top pair. Hextall said Letang has already asked when he can resume skating.

“I’m going to be honest, I’m shocked with how well he seems to be doing and taking it,” Hextall said. “We’re going to continue to do as many tests as we need to do. Second opinion, whatever we feel like needs to be done. First and foremost, this is about the person. Told ‘Tanger’ that last night.

“This is Kris Letang, the father, the family guy. The hockey player and the Pittsburgh Penguins, that’s secondary.”

Letang leads the Penguins in ice time per game (23:54) and has 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 21 games this season.

He agreed to a six-year, $36.6 million contract ($6.1 million average annual value) with the Penguins on July 7 after he had an NHL career-high 68 points (10 goals, 58 assists) in 78 games last season.

Letang has played 17 seasons with Pittsburgh and ranks first among defensemen in games (962), goals (145), assists (517) and points (662).

“It’s hard to put it into words,” Sullivan said of Letang’s value to the Penguins. “He’s played with some of these guys for a long time. They’re close friends off the ice, first and foremost. He has a family. So it’s hard to put it into words.

“I think when something like this arises, it certainly puts things into perspective for all of us. For me, I’ve had the privilege to coach him for seven-plus years now and developed a pretty good relationship with him. I know how I feel about him. Some of these guys have played with him for 15 years. They’re close friends, so they care about each other as people.”