Penguins Forward Ben Kindel Hospitalized After In-Flight Emergency

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel underwent evaluation at a hospital in Salt Lake City following a medical emergency during the team’s flight back from a four-game road trip. The 19-year-old Kindel, a native of Coquitlam, B.C., experienced an unspecified issue shortly after the team’s plane departed from Salt Lake City airport on Tuesday. The aircraft returned to the airport, and Kindel received medical attention from the team’s staff onboard before being transported by ambulance to the University of Utah hospital. The Penguins reported that Kindel was conscious, alert, and in stable condition. Kindel, currently in his second season with the Penguins after being chosen as the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft, has recorded two goals and two assists in nine games. Notably, he played for 18 minutes and 53 seconds in a 5-4 defeat against Utah on Monday evening.