Before Ben Kindel joined the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was one of the most gifted young forwards to pass through the Calgary Hitmen program.
That Calgary connection made this week’s news especially unsettling at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Kindel collapsed aboard Pittsburgh’s team flight Tuesday and required emergency medical care after the plane returned to Utah.
The incident happened roughly 10 minutes after the Penguins’ charter departed for Pittsburgh following Monday’s game against the Utah Mammoth. General manager Kyle Dubas said Kindel lost consciousness in what doctors diagnosed as a vasovagal episode, which involves a sudden decline in heart rate and blood pressure, causing sudden fainting.
Team medical director Dr. Dharmesh Vyas and other members of Pittsburgh’s medical staff treated Kindel immediately and gave him oxygen. He regained consciousness while the aircraft turned back. Paramedics met the plane after its emergency landing and transported the 19-year-old forward to University of Utah Hospital for assessment and treatment.
Kindel remained in Utah until Wednesday, when doctors cleared him to travel. He returned to Pittsburgh with members of the organization and reported to the team’s facility Thursday for more testing. The Penguins placed him on injured reserve and have not established a firm timetable for his return to play.
“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.”
Dubas added that Kindel had no known history of similar episodes before Tuesday’s frightening in-flight collapse aboard the charter.
For Calgary hockey followers, Kindel’s current status reaches well beyond another NHL injury report. The Coquitlam, B.C., product developed into a first-round talent during three seasons with the Hitmen, producing 50 goals and 109 assists across 134 regular-season games while becoming the centrepiece of Calgary’s attack in his draft year.
His final WHL season provided the clearest view of his potential. Kindel recorded 35 goals and 64 assists for 99 points in 65 games during 2024-25. He also set a Hitmen franchise record with a 23-game point streak, scoring 15 goals and adding 30 assists during that run for Calgary.
Pittsburgh selected Kindel 11th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and he jumped directly from junior hockey into the Penguins’ lineup. At 18, he played 77 games as a rookie, scoring 17 goals and 35 points. He has two goals and four points through nine games this season so far.
Dubas described Kindel as “very clearly shaken” while processing what happened. Pittsburgh cancelled Wednesday’s practice and offered off-ice support to players and staff who witnessed the episode. Dubas also thanked the medical personnel and Air Canada crew whose calm response helped stabilize the situation and get Kindel safely to hospital.
The club hopes to complete testing and ease Kindel back into training over several days. Dubas said a return to practice Sunday or Monday was possible but stressed that every step depends on medical clearance. In Calgary, the immediate concern is not when Kindel plays again, but that he recovers.
