The Pittsburgh Penguins are monitoring forward Ben Kindel at a hospital in Salt Lake City following a medical incident on the team’s return flight from a recent trip. The 19-year-old player, hailing from Coquitlam, B.C., experienced an undisclosed medical problem soon after the flight took off from Salt Lake City airport. Consequently, the aircraft returned to the airport, and Kindel received immediate medical attention from the team’s medical staff before being transported by ambulance to the University of Utah hospital. The Penguins have reported that Kindel is conscious, alert, and in stable condition. Kindel, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft and is in his second season with the Penguins, has accumulated two goals and two assists in nine games. In the team’s recent match against Utah, he played for 18 minutes and 53 seconds during a 5-4 defeat.
