KRIS LETANG

The question is this:

Just how much can one person take?

Everyone has stuff.

Problems.

Big & small.

All you have to do is look to your right and left.

To your left and right.

That’s exactly what a Harvard Law School professor said to my father’s incoming class on day one, many years ago.

Decades ago, actually.

“Look to each side of you. If you see three people, one of you will be here when it’s over, and the other two unfortunately will not.”

If one was to look beyond that, it’s pretty easy to ascertain that there’s always someone a little worse off than you.

Sad but true.

It’s a tough world.

I don’t know if it’s a by-product of aging, but it seems to get tougher by the day.

Of course, everything is relative.

Take the chosen ones, professional athletes.

Make no mistake, they worked their collective asses off to reach their respective heights.

Sometimes sacrificing mega portions of their youth and beyond to achieve their goals.

To get it done.

And sure, in most cases they get paid enough to (potentially) take care of their families for generations.

But they’re still human.

Ever hear of Kris Letang?

Letang, 35, is an alternate captain and 3-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He is heroic, simply put.

Maybe Marvel should create a character inspired by Letang.

A real superhero.

No suit of armor.

No indestructible shield.

No suffocating labyrinth of spiderwebs.

No gimmicks.

I mean, who else comes back to play less than two full weeks after suffering a stroke?

A second stroke.

His legendary status had been bolstered in Pittsburgh and beyond, post-stroke #1.

But after stroke #2?

Fuggedaboutit.

Off the charts.

Who does this?

Letang is indispensable, an offensive catalyst from the back end, a minutes-eating machine, a warrior.

Along with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, he is the heart that allows the Penguins to beat.

Since 2006.

Seventeen years-worth.

Brothers for life, on and off the ice.

The Pens defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4–1 on Sunday night, snapping a 6-game losing skein.

It marked the end of a 10-day road trip.

But instead of returning home, they traveled through the middle of the night to Montreal, arriving at 4 a.m.

After catching a few Zs, the team–en masse–attended the funeral of Letang’s father, Claude Fouquet.

How’s that for showing the proper respect?

How’s that for earning it?

Taking care of teammates.

Of friends.

Best friends.

The ultimate compliment.

The funeral for Letang’s father was held today.

Crosby, Malkin and twenty other teammates were there, as was coach Mike Sullivan and his staff.

Game tomorrow.

Today is today.

[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in January 2023.]