Reaching 1,000 career games is a significant accomplishment in the NHL, but reaching 1,100 games with one team is another level. Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang reached the latter accomplishment on Nov. 2 after being drafted by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. After a career spent entirely with the Penguins, reaching this accomplishment has been a long time coming for Letang.
How Did Letang Get to 1,100 Games?
Heading into the 2005 Draft, Letang was touted as a top-notch skater on the back end of the ice, and that alone would have helped make him at least a fringe first-round or early second-round pick. But what held him back in many people’s eyes was his size, which seemed to concern teams and scouts alike. This came after Letang put up a solid season with the Val-d’Or Foreurs, tallying 13 goals, 19 assists, and 32 total points while also showing an edge to his game with 72 penalty minutes.
Letang did not hear his name called until the third round of the draft when the Penguins took him with the 62nd-overall pick. He was part of the same draft as his long-time teammate and fellow piece of the “core three,” Sidney Crosby. He returned to the Foreurs for his second season of junior hockey and took his offensive numbers to another level, tallying 68 points and racking up 156 penalty minutes. After making a strong impression on the organization in the 2006-07 season training camp, Letang earned a seven-game stint with the team before returning to the Foreurs for his final season of junior hockey. Following his 2006-07 season, he would become a mainstay in the Penguins’ lineup for the next 18 seasons and counting.
While being a player who makes people pull their hair out at times with some of his plays, Letang has been a steady force on the Penguins’ blue line throughout his time in the league. Offensively, he has tallied 30-plus points in every season outside of two and has become one of the best defensemen in the organization’s history. Tied throughout his career with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the trio has helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, and 2017, whhile Letang did not play in the 2016-17 playoffs due to a herniated disc injury.) He has earned six All-Star appearances and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2022-23 season (the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey) after battling back from health concerns throughout the season.
Letang has tallied 168 goals and 579 assists for 747 points in the 1,100 regular season games he has played for the Penguins. Each of these ranks him first all-time in organization history among defensemen. In the playoffs, he has added another 149 games played and has racked up 23 goals and 67 assists for 90 points, once again ranking him first all-time among defensemen who have played for the organization. Safe to say, he has been one of the biggest steals the organization has found in the draft over the last 20 years.
Looking Forward For Letang
Letang, at the age of 37, is nearing the end of his career with Crosby and Malkin. He currently has a contract that runs through the 2027-28 season after signing a six-year extension in July 2022. If he can stay healthy, there is a good chance he will continue climbing the all-time ranks among defensemen in league history. His 168 regular season goals rank 32nd, only one behind Carol Vadnais. Averaging just south of 10 goals a season, he could find his way into the 28th spot, needing only 12 goals to pass Ron Greschner for that spot.
Related: Penguins Milestones to Watch for in the 2024-25 Season
His longevity has led to him climbing up the points list, sitting at 23rd all-time among defensemen and needing only 24 points to pass Rob Blake for 20th all-time. There is plenty of opportunity for Letang to further establish himself in the league’s history books before his career ends and for Penguins fans, hopefully, lead the team back to the playoffs and maybe even another run at a Stanley Cup before he hangs up his skates.
