Wow. Letang Returns to Practice 10 Days After Stroke

Piittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, in what could be described as a large surprise, was on the ice for Penguins practice Thursday at the UPMC Lemieux Sport Complex. That development comes 10 days after he had his second stroke in about eight years.

Letang had been skating separately from the team. The Penguins have reported that this stroke was not as severe as his prior one.

At the start of the session, Letang got stick taps from his teammates and handed out fist bumps.

Forward Ryan Poehling, who missed the last game because of an injury, was also on the ice. However, forward Josh Archibald was missing.

We hope to get updates on Letang’s status and recovery after practice.

Letang did not assume his normal spot on the top defensive pairing. He rotated in on the third set, mostly with Chad Ruhwedel. Still, his presence — and he was not wearing what would seem to be a non-contact jersey — seems remarkable.