Kris Letang has been a heart and soul player for the Pittsburgh Penguins since being drafted by the franchise in 2004, and the three-time Stanley Cup champion will play his 1,100th career NHL game on Saturday night. It'll be against his hometown team, with the Montreal Canadiens making the trip to PPG Paints Arena for the momentous occasion.
The 37-year-old admitted he couldn't have envisioned himself playing 19 seasons in the league — and counting.
“There were times where I didn’t even think I was going to crack 500,” Letang told NHL.com's Wes Crosby ahead of game No. 1,100.
The star defenseman continued: “It’s just pretty special. It’s a long journey. You just learn so many things throughout and you adjust. I think it was a hard road but I think I did a good job of finding ways to treat my body better and prepare myself to be able to play as many as I can.”
Letang emerged into a premier defenseman in the NHL quickly, amassing 13 points in 23 postseason games in 2008-09 as the Pens got revenge on the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. That was just his second full year in the league.
The Montreal native would help the Penguins win two more titles, beating the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators in back-to-back seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively.
It's been an incredible career for Letang, and he should be a surefire Hall of Famer whenever he decides to hang up the skates.
“The fact that I’m comfortable and I’m healthy now, that I can do the things I love but I can also be active and do all kinds of things with [my children] on the ice, I think it’s pretty special,” said Letang.
The Penguins' star veterans have all celebrated milestones this season, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin also accomplishing impressive feats.
A season full of milestones for struggling Penguins
Crosby reached his 1,600th point on the same night Malkin scored his 500th career goal in a wild 6-5 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on October 16. It's the combination of Crosby, Malkin and Letang that continues to lead the way for Pittsburgh.
The three are in their 19th season together, making them the longest-tenured trio of teammates in the history of major North American pro sports, according to Wes Crosby.
“What I think is really nice is it’s not forced,” Letang said. “Sometimes you can get three guys early on in their career and they have totally different agendas, you know? What’s fun is all three had only one goal in mind and it was to bring championships and be the best we could for this organization. Like I said, nothing was ever forced. It was just organic.”
Letang, Crosby and Malkin will forever be legendary in Pittsburgh. But this year, the team is struggling mightily despite the trio's best efforts. The Penguins are 4-7-1 through 12 games and dead last in the Metropolitan Division.
They had lost six straight before beating the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in overtime on Thursday to get back in the win column. It's been a discouraging start for a team that has already missed back-to-back postseason's.
Despite that, Saturday's tilt should be a special night for Letang and all of the fans who have been treated to watching him play in Pittsburgh for nearly two decades.
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