(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel plays in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Oct. 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel is back in Pittsburgh and recovering after collapsing on the team’s flight back from Utah earlier this week.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday that the 19-year-old Kindel fell ill about 10 minutes after the club left Salt Lake City on Tuesday. Team medical personnel attended to him immediately, and Kindel quickly regained consciousness.
The plane turned back to the airport for an emergency landing, and Kindel was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for observation before being released on Wednesday.
Kindel had a vasovagal episode, which is marked by a sharp drop in heart rate and blood pressure, according to Dubas. Kindel was undergoing further testing in an effort to determine the cause at the team complex on Thursday. Dubas said Kindel had no prior history of collapsing.
Dubas, who met with Kindel on Thursday morning, described the teenager as “very clearly shaken.”
The Penguins placed the 2025 first-round pick on injured reserve, and while there is no timetable for his return, Dubas added the club is optimistic Kindel could be cleared to work out by the end of the weekend, pending test results.
“We will obviously follow very strict guidelines to ensure a safe return to training and play for Ben,” Dubas said. “That’s our primary goal and paramount to his future and health, so that’s how we will handle it.”
Kindel has two points and two assists in nine games this season for Pittsburgh. He played nearly 19 minutes during a loss to Utah on Monday night.
The Penguins cancelled practice on Wednesday while the team provided off-ice resources for the players. The club was back at practice for a morning skate Thursday ahead of a visit by the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena.
“Whether you like it or not, the show goes on tonight,” Dubas said. “And so we have to gear up and get ready for that. And that’s the number one: take care of our people. And the number two: put them in a place to perform.”
Pittsburgh, which also placed forward Bryan Rust on injured reserve with an undisclosed issue, has dropped four straight games and sits at next-to-last in the Eastern Conference.
