Penguins’ Letang suffers 2nd stroke

Kris Letang plays hockey with a grace and inexhaustible fluidity seemingly impervious to the rigors of spending nearly half his life in the NHL. For the second time in less than a decade, however, a major health scare has brought Letang’s career to a halt. The 35-year-old Letang is out indefinitely after suffering a stroke for a second time. Letang reported feeling ill Monday and was taken to the hospital, where tests confirmed the stroke. While GM Ron Hextall said Wednesday this stroke doesn’t appear to be as serious as the one Letang sustained in 2014, the Penguins will have to find a way forward at least in the short term without one of their franchise pillars. “I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn’t right,” Letang said in a statement. “While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness . ... I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon.” The three-time Stanley Cup champion missed more than two months in 2014 after a stroke, which doctors determined was caused by a small hole in the wall of his heart.