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Penguins' Ben Kindel Hospitalized After Medical Episode on Flight
Confirmed
In Short: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel was hospitalized after a medical episode on the team's flight from Salt Lake City.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel was taken to the hospital after experiencing a medical episode during the team's flight out of Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
The team plane returned to the airport shortly after takeoff due to the incident.
According to the team statement, Kindel was conscious, alert, and in stable condition.
Team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas of UPMC and the team's medical staff were on board and immediately attended to Kindel.
An ambulance was waiting at the airport, and Kindel was taken to the University of Utah Hospital for further evaluation.
Members of the team's front office, coaching staff, and medical staff have stayed with Kindel in Utah.
The team's statement emphasized the health and safety of their players as their top priority.
Kindel, 19, is in his second season with the Penguins after being selected in the 2025 NHL Draft.
He has played in all nine games this season, recording two goals and two assists.
The Penguins were in action Monday evening in Salt Lake City, where they lost 5-4 to the Utah Mammoth.
The team will provide further updates when appropriate.
Kindel's teammates remain in Salt Lake City but are set to travel back to Pittsburgh on a separate flight on Tuesday.
What this adds
Kindel's medical episode is the second-most concerning health issue involving a young NHL player this season.
What's confirmed
- "The Pittsburgh Penguins team plane returned to the Salt Lake City International Airport today shortly after takeoff due to a medical episode involving forward Ben Kindel," the team said in a statement.
- "Team physician, Dr. Dharmesh Vyas of UPMC, as well as the team's medical staff were on board and immediately attended to Ben. An ambulance was waiting upon arrival, and he was taken to the University of Utah Hospital for further evaluation. Ben is conscious, alert and in stable condition. The health and safety of our players, as well as the privacy for their families, are our top priority. The team will provide further updates when appropriate."
- Kindel is in the midst of his second season as a member of the Penguins after they selected him with the No.
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel was taken to the hospital after a medical emergency during the team's flight out of Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
- The team said Kindel was conscious, alert and stable.
What's still developing
- His 23 shots on goal are the second-most among Penguins players.
- Kindel scored his first NHL goal four days later and had five goals through his first 12 games.
- So far in his NHL career, Kindel has appeared in 86 games and has scored 19 goals with 20 assists; he also appeared in all six Penguins postseason games earlier this spring, though he didn’t pick up a point.
- Kindel was taken by the Penguins in the first round (1th overall pick) in the 2025 NHL Draft and was signed to a three-year entry-level contract.