Coaches did not take it easy on Filip Hallander for his first practice in more than three months with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In fact, they gave the rookie a very demanding assignment Tuesday in Cranberry.

He had to skate as the first-line center.

Now, to be certain, the person who typically inhabits that station is currently andare in giro through the Italian Alps as he tries to lead Canada to a gold medal at the Olympics.

But until Sidney Crosby returns from Milan, Hallander is more than willing to assume that role.

Heck, he’s just happy to be back on the ice with teammates for the first time since he was sidelined by a blood clot in an unspecified leg back in November.

“I feel good,” Hallander said. “Obviously, it’s great to be back out there. A lot of practices on my own. So, it’s fun to be back with the boys.”

The 25-year-old last played during a 4-3 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 3. Two days later, he briefly took to the ice for a practice in Cranberry before leaving prematurely without any initial explanation from the team.

By Nov. 7, the Penguins announced he was diagnosed with a blood clot and offered a time frame of three months for recovery. Since then, he has largely skated either by himself or with other injured players in a non-contact capacity.

The tail end of that respite has coincided with the NHL’s ongoing Olympic break and could allow Hallander, currently designated to injured reserve, an opportunity to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League for a conditioning assignment.

But that hasn’t been determined yet by management. Everyone is just happy Hallander is back on the ice without any restrictions on contact.

“Today was the first day back,” coach Dan Muse said. “It’s just taking it a step at a time, a day at a time. For him, today was getting out there for a team practice. That was the next step. We’ll make decisions based off of conversations after today.”

Hallander wasn’t overly eager to get into the details of his ailment. But he was verbose about how profound the experience was for him.

“It’s gone through phases, I would say,” Hallander said. “Obviously, in the start, it was tough, especially when it’s something that’s been a part of your life for such a long time, as hockey has been. You don’t know if it’s going to be the end at the start (of his recovery). But after that, it’s probably been the best three months.

“It’s weird to say, especially when you find a way to get into the NHL and play a lot and start there. But you get perspective on things when stuff like that happens.”

While not identical, potentially dire stuff like this has happened to Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who has been sidelined on two separate occasions during his 20-year career due to strokes as a result of a hole in his heart, a condition he was born with.

He has an appreciation for Hallander simply rejoining teammates for practice.

“Obviously, it’s a scary, scary thing he went through,” Letang said. “It’s a long road sometimes. It feels lonely. I’m sure he was eager to get out there and be with the boys. When you go through stuff like that, (practicing is) a big accomplishment, especially for self-confidence.”

Hallander earned his teammate’s confidence during the handful of games he had played this season before being sidelined. Returning to the NHL after spending the previous two seasons playing in his native Sweden, Hallander had four points (one goal, three assists) in 13 games while skating on both wings with three of the team’s four lines as well as the penalty kill.

He scored his first career goal while short-handed during a 4-2 road win against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 16.

Filip Hallander – Pittsburgh Penguins (1)Shorthanded Goal pic.twitter.com/m7aOpaVDzT

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 17, 2025

At the time his respite started, he was skating on the left wing of the top line with Crosby and right winger Bryan Rust.

“He plays a good, hard north-south game,” Rust said. “Pays attention to all the little details extremely well. He’s a guy you know what you’re going to get out of him. It’s going to be hard work, but also, he can make those little plays in tight. He can finish, too. He’s a great player.”

By most measures, the past three months haven’t been great for Hallander. But he offers a different perspective on the matter.

“When something that’s so close to you almost gets away from you, you love it even more when you get the chance to do it again,” Hallander said. “Obviously, I’ve been healthy enough to practice (without contact) and be surrounded with a lot of good people here. I’ve been doing all that stuff really good.

“But you have a lot of time to think and to work on yourself. It’s weird to say, but it’s probably been the best three months after all.”

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