Letang Visits Teammates Day After Surgery; ‘He’s a Maniac’

Here’s a bombshell, at least if you don’t know Kris Letang. The Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman was at the team’s UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex practice facility Wednesday, a day after he had a heart procedure.

No, of course he didn’t practice. Count his teammates among those, however, who were relieved but not overly surprised to see Letang.

“No, not really. He’s a maniac,” fellow defenseman Erik Karlsson said, then laughed. “I kind of expected to see him yesterday, to be honest.”

Letang did not speak with reporters a day after he had a procedure to close a hole in his heart, but Karlsson could be a little lighthearted in talking about him because the players know he’s OK.

Karlsson and others texted with or talked to Letang Tuesday after his procedure, which is expected to require a four- to six-week recovery, and then saw him Wednesday.

“Moving a little bit slow, but he was in a good mood. That, I think, eases everyone’s mind,” Karlsson said.

That seemed to be the prevailing sentiment.

“Obviously, anything like that you get a little bit worried, but him as well as other people reassured us that it wasn’t too overly bad, and it was something that needed to be done,” winger Bryan Rust said.

Letang, who turns 38 next week, has a long history of injuries and medical problems. That includes two strokes. After his first one in 2014, it was revealed that he had the hole in his heart.

One of his oldest friends, team captain Sidney Crosby, like Karlsson, was happy to see Letang at the rink.

“Given his history, I think you just want him to be healthy. That’s the main thing,” Crosby said. “It seems like it’s something that’s fairly common and that I think he’s happy that he got done and, hopefully, helps him.

“He seems like he feels pretty good overall. It went pretty quick. It’s good that he got it done. You want to see him and know that he’s good.”

Letang keeps going despite all of his medical issues over the years, and Crosby is hardly surprised.

“He’s been through a lot,” Crosby said. “I’m sure he’s had some difficult moments and decisions, but he’s handled it as good as you possibly can. His attitude, his mindset is pretty incredible, pretty strong. It’s that stubbornness is that trait that’s served him well.

“I think he wants to play until he’s 50. He makes it known that he wants to play for a long time. I don’t know if he’ll change his mind or not, but that’s been the stance for a long time. When he starts talking about 50, I get out of the conversation pretty quick.”