This is an unexpected update from Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, but I’m sure it will make people smile.
On Wednesday, the Penguins announced that defenseman Kris Letang will be out of the lineup indefinitely after suffering a stroke on Monday.
On Thursday, Letang stunned his teammates and head coach when, despite not being anywhere near getting cleared to return, he jumped on the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Sullivan explained that his defenseman got approval to “go for a twirl” on the ice, stating the skate was “more for his own mental health than anything.”
Sullivan added that the team and Letang keep erring on the side of caution in this situation, though when the announcement was made on Wednesday, it was said that the stroke was not as severe as the initial one he suffered in 2014.
It is also believed that it does not put his career in jeopardy.
Letang has played 543 regular season games and 69 playoff games since his initial stroke.
He needs to focus on getting better before he returned the Penguins, for whom he put up one goal and 12 points in 21 games this season.
If the skating helps him mentally, it’s great news to see that he can twirl around a bit to stay well.
