Pittsburgh Penguins star Kris Letang is 'out indefinitely' after suffering another stroke, eight years on from his first experience in 2014.
General manager Ron Hextall announced on Tuesday that Letang had suffered another stroke after initially reported symptoms on Monday. Letang was out of their defeat against Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night as he was listed with 'illness', but Hextall has since provided clarity on the situation.
The Penguins say that Letang's situation is not 'life threatening', and the NHL star is not experiencing 'any lasting effects'. Hextall also hopes that the stroke will not be career threatening, but tests are taking place.
"I think, first and foremost, Kris is doing well considering what happened," Hextall said on Wednesday. "He was at the game last night. I chatted with him for a while, actually the whole second period.
"When [coach Mike Sullivan] addressed the team after the game and let the players know exactly what happened, Kris actually came into the room. He wanted to assure everybody that he's doing as well as possible. There's no lingering effects right now at this point from the stroke. Thus far, everything is looking as positive as it could be."
Letang was not aware that he had suffered a stroke, despite previously suffering one back in 2014. "He just knew something wasn't right," Hextall added. "That's when he contacted our medical staff.
"That's when he went to the hospital to get some tests done. That's when it was revealed. But he did not suspect or know that he had a stroke."
Letang was out for two months in 2014 when suffering his first stroke, when tests revealed he was born with a very small hole in the wall of his heart, which typically closes on its own in most cases. And Hextall has confirmed that the situation eight years ago was a lot more severe than this time around, which is promising news.
"This was much less severe than what happened eight years ago," Hextall added. So I think there's a lot of comfort in that for him. I think Kris has a lot of confidence in our medical staff."
And Letang has also broken his silence, claiming that he hopes to be back as soon as possible. "I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn't right," Letang said in a press release.
'While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."
