Penguins defenseman Kris Letang rejoins team in practice
Tuesday’s practice session in Cranberry was different for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was optional. Approximately only 15 players were present.
And it was fairly leisurely. Not much in the way of formal drills and certainly nothing involving line rushes or special teams units.
And there was music. A satellite radio station blared some older hip hop hits such as “It’s Tricky” by Run-DMC.
It was a very upbeat day for the Penguins for all of those factors. But one reason, in particular, rose above all the others.
Kris Letang.
The all-everything defenseman was present for the first time since he took a leave of absence following the death of his father, Claude Fouquet, on Dec. 31.
Letang, who was injured at the time of Fouquet’s passing, still is rehabilitating from his ailment and participated in Tuesday’s session wearing a white non-contact jersey.
The six-time all-star skated for approximately 30 minutes before the practice session began with assistant coach Ty Hennes, who oversees players rehabilitating from injuries. Then in practice, Letang participated for roughly 15 minutes before departing, as planned.
Even if limited, Letang’s presence was a considerably positive development on several fronts.
“Obviously, he means a lot to our team,” Sullivan said. “He’s part of this family. For him to be part of the group was a great feeling for everybody. We’re looking forward to him joining us during a game. We’re hopeful that is sooner than later.”
“That’s his first day on the ice in a couple of weeks. We wanted to make sure we put him in a position to be successful.”
On Monday, Letang was designated to injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 28. Previously, he was designated as “non-roster” after going on leave to attend to his family Jan. 2. Sullivan was short on specifics as far as a potential return to the lineup but did rule Letang out for Wednesday’s road game against the Ottawa Senators while labeling him as “day to day.”
Regardless, Tuesday was a good day for the Penguins and Letang.
“We pulled into (the parking garage) last night at the same time,” defenseman Jeff Petry said. “It was great to see him. We talked as we walked back. Obviously, he’s going through a lot. … His presence and him being back gives us a lift.”
Jarry closer to return
Goaltender Tristan Jarry also participated in Tuesday’s practice and was a full participant.
He had been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury during a 2-1 road loss to the Boston Bruins in an outdoor game Jan. 2 at Fenway Park.
Jarry pulled himself from the contest when it became clear he could injure himself further.
“I was pretty aware of what happened,” Jarry said. “I knew if I continued, it wouldn’t do anything to help the team.”
Jarry was short on specifics as far as a potential return. But Sullivan indicated Jarry was scheduled to fly with the team to Ottawa.
Other injuries
Forwards Josh Archibald and Ryan Poehling and Petry also were scheduled to travel Ottawa. All three participated in Tuesday’s practice session, though Archibald was limited to no contact.
Along with Jarry, Archibald and Poehling are designated to injured reserve. Petry is designated to long-term injured reserve.
Defenseman Jan Rutta, who was scratched from Monday’s 4-3 overtime home loss to the Anaheim Ducks, was absent from practice and is considered “day to day” per Sullivan. Rutta did not travel to Ottawa.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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