Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel is back in Pittsburgh and recovering after a medical emergency on the team's flight home from Utah earlier this week. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday that the 19-year-old collapsed about 10 minutes after the club left Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
The plane turned back to the airport for an emergency landing, and Kindel was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for observation. He was released Wednesday. Dubas said Kindel suffered a vasovagal episode, a condition marked by a sharp drop in heart rate and blood pressure. Kindel was undergoing further testing at the team complex Thursday, and Dubas said he had no prior history of collapsing.
The team has placed the 2025 first-round pick on injured reserve. There is no timetable for his return, but Dubas said the club is optimistic Kindel could return to training by the end of the weekend, pending test results. Kindel has two points and two assists in nine games this season for Pittsburgh.
Kindel played nearly 19 minutes during the team's loss to Utah on Monday night, just before the flight that led to the emergency landing.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing