Some scary news from the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday as coach Paul Maurice revealed that forward Mark Letestu will be shut down for the next six months due to a virus called myocarditis.
It is an inflammation of the heart muscle that forces it to work harder to pump blood throughout the body.
He is expected to make a full recovery, but will be limited to only very light activity -- and no hockey -- for at least the next six months. That timeline will pretty much end his 2019-20 regular season.
The 34-year-old Letestu is in his first year with the Jets after signing with the team in free agency over the summer. He has played in seven of the team’s games so far this season but has been out of the lineup for more than two weeks.
Originally signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins as an undrafted free agent, Letestu did not make his NHL debut until age 24 and has managed to carve out a strong career for himself as a role player for four different teams. In 567 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Jets he has scored 93 goals and 210 total points, while scoring at least 10 goals in a season six different times.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.