Heartbreaking News as Penguins Veteran Kris Letang Undergoes Shocking Surgery

Kris Letang is set to miss some time this off-season and will need to pause from any training.

The Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman had successful heart surgery that is expected to require roughly four to six weeks of recovery time, the team said on Wednesday.

The surgery he underwent closed a small hole in the heart, otherwise known as a patent foramen ovale. Letang, aged 37, has previously experienced two strokes back in 2014 and 2022, both of which were caused by the same heart condition.

The longtime Penguin, who is a Montreal native, played in 74 games this season, scoring nine goals and 21 assists. He is signed with the Penguins through the 2027-28 season.

Letang, who will be 38 later this month, continued to be a workhorse in his 19th NHL season.

His 17:53 of ice time in his last appearance of the season against the Bruins on Sunday was a season-low and the first time he'd logged under 20 minutes in a game since Jan. 8, 2024, possibly being related to this heart issue.

Without many impact options on this summer's free agent market and the future of Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh in doubt, Letang will likely again open training camp in the fall as the Penguins' unquestioned No. 1 defender, at least in terms of ice time.

Letang has remarkably averaged over 21 minutes per game for the last 17 seasons.