Penguins D Letang cleared for full contact

Sep 13, 2017 - 3:08 AM Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who missed the team's Stanley Cup playoff run last season after surgery to correct a herniated disc in his neck, has been cleared for full contact heading into training camp, which begins Friday.

"My health is pretty good," Letang told reporters at the Penguins' annual golf outing at Allegheny Country Club in Sewickley on Tuesday. "I've been working out all summer. I was restrained at the beginning. But I got clearance to start running and skating around July 5.

"We'll just start to go day by day. I got cleared to have contact and to skate with the team. We'll see how it goes the first few days, and we'll increase the workload, I guess."

Letang, 30, had the neck surgery April 13.

The Penguins expect to have their top defenseman back for their season opener on Oct. 4.

"I'm healthy," he said. "That's the only thing I know. I don't know. Why would I rest? The energy will be there. That's for sure."