[hide] Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been officially ruled out for the rest of the regular season and will have surgery for a herniated disc in his neck.

The injury will sideline Letang for up to 4 to 6 months.

“Kris underwent an MRI in February that revealed a herniated disc in his neck,” General Manager Jim Rutherford said in a released statement. “Our neurosurgeons examined him and recommended conservative treatment in an attempt to correct the condition without surgery. Kris had been making progress and was hopeful of returning for the playoffs until about a week ago, when the progress plateaued. He underwent another MRI, and, at that point it was determined that surgery was needed.”[/hide]

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