Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang cleared to play days before Pens training camp begins

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The Penguins’ chase for a third consecutive Stanley Cup got a boost on Tuesday.

After surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, star defenseman Kris Letang has been cleared for contact.

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Letang confirmed at the team's annual golf outing in Sewickley that not only is he cleared for contact, but will be on the ice with the team when training camp opens this weekend.

Letang underwent neck surgery April 13, one week after the team announced he'd be lost for the season. Since then, he's been rehabbing and says he feels good.

But the fact of the matter is, Letang is 30 and coming off major surgery, and this wasn't an easy road back.

“It was hard. I'm not going to lie,” he said. “It was a tough first two weeks. There's a lot that goes through your mind, but after that, when I started getting confidence when the guys were playing, I was actually able to work out and do little things.”