SALT LAKE CITY — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel had a medical emergency on the team’s flight from Utah on Tuesday, forcing the aircraft to return to Salt Lake City’s airport, team officials said.
Kindel, 19, who scored 17 goals and had 18 assists during his rookie year last season, was taken to the University of Utah hospital after the plane landed at Salt Lake City International Airport, The Athletic reported. An ambulance was waiting at the airport to tranpsort Kindel to the hospital, according to the sports news website.
The Penguins said in a statement that Kindel was “conscious, alert and in stable condition.”
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The Penguins’ head team physician, Dharmesh Vyas, had accompanied the team on the road trip and immediately cared for Kindel on the plane, team officials said.
“The health and safety of our players, as well as the privacy for their families, are our top priority,” the Penguins said in their statement. “The team will provide further updates when appropriate.”
Kindel missed the first game of the season with a lower-body injury but has played in the Penguins’ next nine games, The Athletic reported.
The team’s youngest player has scored a pair of goals and has four points.
The nature of Kindel’s medical emergency was unclear.
He took several big hits during the Penguins’ 5-4 loss against the Utah Mammoth but appeared to be in good spirits, The Athletic reported.
Kindel spoke briefly to reporters after the game, discussing a play where he nearly tied the contest in the final seconds, according to the sports news website.
During coach Dan Muse’s postgame news conference, Kindel was in a nearby hallway, chatting with Pittsburgh native and Utah center Vincent Trocheck, The Athletic reported.
Kindel was the Penguins’ first-round pick (and 11th overall) in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
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