Kris Letang was under no illusions as to the spectacle the Pittsburgh Penguins had planned for him as he took the ice Sunday at PPG Paints Arena for warmups ahead of his 1,000th career NHL game.
The Penguins made it known well in advance of Sunday’s puck drop vs. Philadelphia that they planned to celebrate Letang, who leads the club in games played among defensemen by a comfortable margin.
In franchise history, Letang is third, trailing longtime teammates Sidney Crosby (1,185) and Evgeni Malkin (1,058) in games played for the Penguins.
As for how his teammates would honor him, earlier this week Letang said he hoped it would be low key.
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“I’m kind of scared because I have one of the craziest warmups, and (my teammates) hate me for it,” he said Friday. “I hope they don’t do anything.”
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In similar fashion to how the Penguins showed their affection for Crosby and Malkin at the time of their respective 1,000th games, shortly after beginning to skate around for pregame warmups, everyone, donning a No. 58 Letang sweater, copied the 35-year-old’s signature warmup routine.
#58….#58….and #58….warming up?? - DP @penguins pic.twitter.com/nISYJCKS71
— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) April 2, 2023
Malkin, who for the majority of his career has been the last player to leave the ice following warmups because of superstitious habit, deferred to Letang in that regard Sunday night.
The start of the game with the Flyers was delayed to 6:14 p.m. for the pregame ceremony honoring Letang, which began with Letang’s son, Alex, announcing the Penguins’ starting lineup.
Letang was joined on the ice by his son, wife, Catherine, and daughter, Victoria, as the Penguins showcased their appreciation for his career with a tribute video played on the PPG Paints Arena jumboscreen.
1,000 NHL games, three championships, and countless memories.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 2, 2023
Your contributions to the Penguins are everlasting.
Congratulations #1Kris Letang. pic.twitter.com/W1X3S1uEMi
