Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffers second stroke

NHL: Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins

For the second time in his National Hockey League career, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang of suffered a stroke. According to Rob Goldberg of bleacherreport.com on Wednesday, the stroke occurred on Monday, and as a result, Letang will be out indefinitely.

2014 Stroke

The first stroke happened in the 2013-14 season. At the time Letang was not chosen to represent Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The cut was a definite surprise because Letang was considered one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. Canada did go on to win their second consecutive gold medal as they blanked Sweden 3-0 in the gold medal game.

Expressing Concern to Penguins Trainers

Letang, a native of Montreal, Quebec, told Penguins trainers on Monday that he was experiencing symptoms. He was then taken to hospital, where it was determined he had his second life stroke. The Penguins did not have a game on Monday. They last played the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and lost 3-2 in overtime thanks to a game-winning goal by Brett Pesce of Tarrytown, New York.

2022-23 NHL Statistics

So far in the 2022-23 NHL regular season, Letang has one goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 21 games. He was a -7 with eight penalty minutes, three power-play points, 44 shots on goal, 34 blocked shots, 44 hits, 17 takeaways, and 21 giveaways. Letang’s goal came in a 6-4 Penguins win over the Minnesota Wild on November 17. At the time, the goal put the Penguins up 3-2 at 18:20 of the second period from Penguins icons Sidney Cosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Penguins in 2022-23

The Penguins are currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. They have a record of 11 wins, eight losses in regulation time, and four losses in extra time, for 26 points overall. The Penguins have the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The New York Rangers also have 26 points, but have played one more game than the Penguins.

 

 

 

Arrow to top