The Pittsburgh Penguins got some great news on Sunday when doctors cleared defenceman Kris Letang to return to full practices with the team. Letang has been out since suffering a stroke on January 29th, while the Penguins were on a west coast road trip.
“He still has some other things to go through (before returning to game action),” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said, “but we knew that this was the six-week mark (since the stroke diagnosis) and there was a chance. He’s been working out, he’s been skating and doing quite a bit on his own.”
For Letang, the news that he will be able to continue his career after the scary incident is a very positive sign. For the Penguins, adding a healthy body to a team that has Paul Martin, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, and Tomas Vokoun all sitting on injured reserve will be a huge boost to their attempt to get the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
Letang will join the Penguins for his first full practice since the stroke on Monday. He indicated that he is hoping to get some game action in the near future.
Letang has ten goals and 18 points in 34 games this season for the Penguins. Last season he scored 38 points in 35 games and finished third in balloting for the Norris Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s best defenceman.
The Penguins also received word that rookie forward Beau Bennett, out after needing wrist surgery, could also make a return to full practice.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @lastwordBkerr. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Hockey writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Main Photo:
