Team lists expected recovery time at 4-6 weeks
Kris Letang was absent from practice yesterday and the issue was much bigger than that. The Penguins announced their defensemen “had successful closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO; small hole in the heart). The procedure was performed at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital by interventional cardiologist Dr. Conrad Smith.”
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang underwent successful surgery to close a patent foramen ovale (PFO, a small hole in the heart).
The expected recovery time is four to six weeks.https://t.co/OBIHf6RlSs
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 16, 2025
The team listed recovery time at 4-6 weeks, which seems like an awfully short amount of time as far as having heart surgery goes.
Letang’s health situation has been dicey, the soon-to-be 38-year old has suffered two strokes in his career. The first stroke occurred in 2014 and the second in November 2022. The strokes have been related to an issue with Letang’s heart where a small opening in the upper chambers of his heart allowed a blood clot to go to his brain in one instance.
Letang showed determination and resilience to come back from his second stroke and play a game only 12 days later less than three years ago. He would be awarded the NHL’s Masterton Trophy in 2023 as a result for “being the NHL player who best exemplified the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey this season”.
Letang has three years remaining on his contract, but at this point playing in the NHL again takes a back seat of concern for the human being and family man that is dealing with all of this. The Penguins’ season ends tomorrow night anyways and getting back to health will be the main concern.