Kris Letang
Kris Letang | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | April 24, 1987|||||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | |||||
Weight | 201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb) | |||||
Position | Defence | |||||
Shoots | Right | |||||
NHL team |
NHL Draft | 62nd overall, | ||||
Playing career | 2006–present |
Kristopher Joseph Pierre Irwin Letang (born April 24, 1987) is a Canadian professional
Playing career
Letang played
Making the Penguins out of training camp, Letang made his NHL debut in the
Pittsburgh Penguins
After beginning the 2007–08 season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Letang was quickly recalled by Pittsburgh after recording seven points in ten games in the AHL. Letang excelled in his rookie season with Pittsburgh and was invited to the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game during All-Star weekend, alongside teammate Tyler Kennedy.[6] He completed the season with 17 points in 63 games, sixth among rookie defencemen. Making his Stanley Cup playoffs debut, Letang helped the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated in six games by the Detroit Red Wings.
Entering the
After the Penguins eliminated the
The following season, Letang recorded a career-low three goals to go with 24 assists. Late in the regular season, Letang signed a four-year contract extension through to the 2013–14 season on March 30, 2010, worth an annual salary of $3.5 million. Entering the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs as defending champions, the Penguins were eliminated in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens. Letang surpassed his regular season goals total with 5 tallies in 13 post-season games, along with two assists for seven points.
With the departure of the Penguins' top defenceman, Sergei Gonchar, the following summer, Letang assumed a larger role with the club in
On January 23, 2012, Letang made the NHL 2012 All-Star roster as an injury replacement for
On July 2, 2013, Letang signed an eight-year contract with Pittsburgh valued at $58 million that went into effect in the 2014–15 season. Letang played in 34 games in the 2013–14 season before it was announced he would miss six weeks after suffering a
In the
In the 2016–17 season, Letang required neck surgery due to a herniated disk in his neck and did not play in the playoffs.[17] Despite this, his name was added to the Stanley Cup and he received a day with the Cup as well.[18]
On October 6, 2018, in a 5–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Letang recorded his 441st assist, setting a new Penguins franchise record for most points by a defenceman.[19] On February 11, 2019, in a 4–1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, Letang passed Paul Coffey for most goals by a Penguins defenceman.[20]
With his prior eight-year deal concluding at the end of the
International play
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing Canada | ||
Ice hockey | ||
World Junior Championships
| ||
2007 Sweden | ||
2006 Canada | ||
IIHF World U18 Championships
| ||
2005 Czech Republic |
Letang debuted internationally for Canada in his
The next two years, Letang competed in the
Personal life
Letang lost one of his closest friends, Luc Bourdon, who was a defensive prospect for the Vancouver Canucks, when he died in a motorcycle accident on May 29, 2008. Letang was at the time playing in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings. He and Bourdon had been teammates in junior with the Val-d'Or Foreurs and the Canadian junior team. He had been planning on buying a motorcycle but decided against it following the death of Bourdon.[28]
Letang and his then long-term girlfriend, Catherine Laflamme, had a son born in November 2012.[29] The couple wed on July 18, 2015, in Montreal.[30] On December 20, 2017, the couple announced on Instagram they were expecting a second child.[31] Their daughter was born in July 2018.[32] His wife was a cast member on the third season of the Canadian reality series Hockey Wives.[33]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2002–03 | Collège Antoine–Girouard
|
QMAAA | 42 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2003–04 | Collège Antoine–Girouard | QMAAA | 39 | 12 | 41 | 53 | 94 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 38 | ||
2004–05 | Val–d'Or Foreurs
|
QMJHL
|
70 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2005–06 | Val–d'Or Foreurs | QMJHL | 60 | 25 | 43 | 68 | 156 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 20 | ||
2006–07 | Val–d'Or Foreurs | QMJHL | 40 | 14 | 38 | 52 | 74 | 19 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 48 | ||
2006–07 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2006–07 | Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins
|
AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
2007–08 | Wilkes–Barre Scranton Penguins | AHL | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2007–08 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 63 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 23 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||
2008–09 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 74 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 24 | 23 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 26 | ||
2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 73 | 3 | 24 | 27 | 51 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | ||
2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 82 | 8 | 42 | 50 | 101 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | ||
2011–12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 51 | 10 | 32 | 42 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 21 | ||
2012–13 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 35 | 5 | 33 | 38 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 8 | ||
2013–14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 37 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | ||
2014–15 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 69 | 11 | 43 | 54 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 71 | 16 | 51 | 67 | 66 | 23 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 22 | ||
2016–17 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 41 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2017–18 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 79 | 9 | 42 | 51 | 56 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 15 | ||
2018–19 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 65 | 16 | 40 | 56 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
2019–20 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 61 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2020–21 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 55 | 7 | 38 | 45 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | ||
2021–22 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 78 | 10 | 58 | 68 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
2022–23 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 64 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2023–24 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 82 | 10 | 41 | 51 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 1,087 | 166 | 576 | 742 | 753 | 149 | 23 | 67 | 90 | 142 |
International
Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Canada Quebec | U17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18 | ||
2005 | Canada | WJC18 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 20 | ||
2006 | Canada | WJC
|
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
2007 | Canada | WJC | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 | ||
Junior totals | 24 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 54 |
Awards
NHL
Award | Year |
---|---|
NHL YoungStars Game | 2009
|
Stanley Cup champion | 2009, 2016, 2017 |
NHL All-Star Game
|
2019, 2020
|
NHL second team All-Star | 2013, 2016 |
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy | 2023
|
Pittsburgh Penguins team awards
Award | Year |
---|---|
Michel Brière Rookie of the Year Award
|
2008 |
Pittsburgh Penguins' Defensive Player of the Year | 2015, 2016 |
IIHF
Award | Year |
---|---|
World Junior gold medal
|
2006, 2007 |
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships All-Star team
|
2007 |
Major junior
Award | Year |
---|---|
QMJHL All-Rookie Team in
|
2005 |
CHL All Rookie Team | 2005 |
QMJHL first All-Star team in | 2006 and 2007 |
Emile Bouchard Trophy | 2007 |
Kevin Lowe Trophy | 2007 |
Paul Dumont Trophy | 2007 |
References
- ^ "Kris Letang - Stats, Contract, Salary & More". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ a b c "Kris Letang". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ "Crosby scores in closing seconds to give Pittsburgh 6–5 win". International Herald Tribune. October 12, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- Sporting News. October 30, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ "Baby Penguins pick up Letang". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 10, 2007. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ Anderson, Shelly (January 16, 2008). "Letang, Kennedy selected to play in YoungStars game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ "Heavier load for Letang". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. October 13, 2008. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ "2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins [NHL]". Hockeydb.com. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
- ^ "Caps tie late but Letang rescues Penguins in OT to cut series lead to 2–1". ESPN. May 6, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
- ^ Molinari, Dave (May 6, 2009). "Letang's OT goal gives Pens 3–2 win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on May 10, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
- ^ Kris Letang 2012 Game Log, Playoffs. Pro-Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-June-10.
- ^ "Penguins announce Letang out six weeks after stroke". TSN.ca. February 7, 2014. Archived from the original on February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
- ^ Penguins, Pittsburgh. "Letang, Bennett Will Return to Practice Monday". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
- ^ "Dubnyk, Hammond, Letang voted Masterton finalists". National Hockey League. April 30, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ^ a b Satriano, David (May 9, 2023). "Masterton Trophy finalists named". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Orpik, Hooks (June 22, 2016). "2016 NHL Awards Recap: Cup champs take to Vegas". pensburgh.com. SB Nation. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ Crosby, Wes (May 30, 2017). "Kris Letang of Penguins recovering 'really well' from neck surgery". NHL.com. NHL. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Letang takes Stanley Cup to Quebec hospital". NHL.com. NHL. July 23, 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Crechiolo, Michelle (October 6, 2018). "Letang reflects on career after setting franchise record". NHL.com. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- ^ Bombulie, Jonathan (February 11, 2019). "Penguins get much-needed win against rival Flyers". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
Kris Letang added an empty netter with 12.2 seconds left. It gave Letang sole possession of the team record for goals by a defenseman, set at 108 by Paul Coffey.
- ^ Stephens, Mike (July 7, 2022). "Penguins sign Letang to six-year extension". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Kris Letang Out Indefinitely After Having Stroke". Pittsburgh Penguins. November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ "Letang returns from stroke, Penguins beat Sabres 3-1". ESPN. December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ Vensel, Matt (January 2, 2023). "Kris Letang leaves the Penguins, Winter Classic following the death of his father". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Crosby, Wes (January 11, 2023). "Penguins travel to Montreal for wake of Letang's father". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Crosby, Wes (April 2, 2023). "Letang celebrated for reaching 1,000 NHL games, all with Penguins". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ Rossi, Rob (April 12, 2023). "Penguins' 16-year playoff streak ends as Islanders secure East's final wild-card spot". The Athletic. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ "Penguins' Letang loses best friend in Bourdon". TSN. May 30, 2008. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
- ^ Basu, Arpon (August 5, 2016). "Kris Letang appreciates every second with Cup". NHL.com. NHL. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
most notably his 3-year-old son Alexander, who ate his morning cereal and croissants out of the Cup
- ^ "KRIS LETANG IS OFFICIALLY THE FATHER OF A BOY NAMED ALEXANDER". 25stanley. August 11, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ Rosenberg, Matt (December 21, 2017). "Penguins' Kris Letang, wife Catherine Laflamme expecting 2nd child". triblive.com. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Gentille, Sean (July 9, 2018). "Kris Letang and Catherine Laflamme share photos of their new daughter". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ "Wife Of Penguins' Defenseman Kris Letang To Appear On 'Hockey Wives'". pittsburgh.cbslocal.com. March 21, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database