Hallander Returns to Practice with a New Perspective

After missing the team’s last 42 games due to a blood clot in his leg, Filip Hallander returned to Penguins practice on Tuesday afternoon at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. He was a full participant in the session.

“It’s been a long road,” Head Coach Dan Muse said. “I think for him, he has put in a lot of work. Obviously, the situation was tough, but it is what it is. He handled everything the right way, put in a lot of work, and you get to a day like today, where he’s out there with the team. I’m just really happy for him.”

The team announced in November that Hallander would miss a minimum of three months. The timing was especially unfortunate, as the team was a few weeks away from traveling to his native Sweden for the 2025 NHL Global Series.

At the time, Hallander wasn’t sure how he was going to adjust. His experience has since opened up his perspective.

“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,” Hallander said. “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. 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."

So, Hallander has appreciated every step of the progress that he's made, particularly getting the chance to rejoin the guys.

“It’s a scary thing that he went through, and it’s a long road sometimes,” Kris Letang said. “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, it’s a big accomplishment, especially for your self-confidence.”

In the locker room after practice, his teammates and coach talked about the impact Hallander made in the 13 games he played before getting sidelined. He scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 16 in Los Angeles, and was able to slot in on the top line alongside Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby when the team faced injuries.

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

There’s a lot to like about what Hallander can bring. But what has been most impressive is his ability to take positives from a challenging time, for which the team gives him a lot of credit.

“His mindset has been fantastic,” Muse said. “I think he's taken that approach. He's controlled what he can control, which is the time in the gym, and a lot of skates by himself. Like, those are hard things. But every day that I've seen him, he's had a smile on his face, and he's just been excited to be here, and he's excited to put in the work.”

LETANG ALSO RETURNS

The team announced on Jan. 31 that Kris Letang was expected to miss a minimum of four weeks with a fracture in his foot. He was sidelined for Pittsburgh’s last four games going into the Olympic break.

He said he was able to skate “a little bit” during the first part of it, while the Penguins were completely off. Letang progressed to being a full participant in today’s practice.

“It feels pretty good,” Letang said, adding that he’s close to 100%. “Good to be out there with everybody.”

Letang anticipates being ready for play for Pittsburgh’s first matchup coming out of the Olympic break on Feb. 26 versus New Jersey, but “we’ll see how it goes. … By the time we play, it’s going to be four weeks. That’s kind of the time frame we talked about.”