Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kris Letang plays Saturday after recovering from stroke

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is reportedly “available to play” against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday after recovering from a stroke, although Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan also said Letang is a game-time decision.

Letang, 35, suffered the stroke in late November and has missed the Penguins’ last five games while recovering. He also suffered a previous stroke back in 2014, with both likely due to a birth defect resulting in a small hole in his heart.

In 21 games with the Penguins this season, Letang has one goal and 12 points while averaging 23:54 per night. The six-foot right-handed defender returned to practice with the Penguins on Thursday and skated with the team again on Saturday morning.

“I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn’t right,” Letang said in November upon the news of his most recent stroke. “While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. It is important for me that my teammates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon.”

The Penguins originally selected Letang in the third round of the 2005 NHL Draft, 61 spots after they took Sidney Crosby first overall. Letang debuted with the Penguins in 2006–07 and subsequently reached four Stanley Cup Finals with the team, winning in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

Letang signed a six-year contract extension in early July to remain a Penguin for what will likely be the rest of his NHL career. His contract carries a $6.1 million cap hit and, for the first four years, both full no-trade and no-movement clauses.

The Penguins will take on the Sabres at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. The two teams previously met in Buffalo on Friday, with the Penguins taking the spirited affair by a 4–3 score off a Jeff Carter overtime winner.

UPDATE: Letang is, indeed in the Penguins’ lineup for Saturday’s game in Buffalo: