CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel is back in Pittsburgh and recovering after collapsing on the team’s flight back from Utah earlier this week. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday the 19-year-old Kindel fell ill about 10 minutes after the club left Salt Lake City on Tuesday at the end of a four-game road trip. Team medical personnel attended to Kindel immediately and he quickly regained consciousness. The plane turned back to the airport for an emergency landing, and Kindel was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for observation before being released on Wednesday. Kindel had a vasovagal episode, which is marked by a sharp drop in heart rate and blood pressure, according to Dubas. Kindel was undergoing further testing at the team complex in an effort to determine what caused him to faint. Dubas said to his knowledge that Kindel had no previous history of collapsing. Dubas, who met with Kindel on Thursday morning, described the teenager as “very clearly shaken.” The Penguins placed the 2025 first-round pick on injured reserve, and while there is no timetable for his return, Dubas added the club is optimistic Kindel could be cleared to work out by the end of the weekend, pending test results. “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, so that’s how we will handle it.” Kindel has two points and two assists in nine games this season for Pittsburgh. He played nearly 19 minutes during a loss to Utah on Monday night. The Penguins canceled practice on Wednesday while the team provided off-ice resources for the players. The club was back at practice for a morning skate Thursday ahead of a visit by the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena. “Whether you like it or not, the show goes on tonight,” Dubas said. “And so we have to gear up and get ready for that. And that’s the number one: take care of our people. And the number two: put them in a place to perform.” Kindel’s medical scare marked the latest setback during a particularly difficult stretch for the Penguins both on and off the ice. Pittsburgh forward Andrei Kuzmenko’s father died in a remote part of Russia last month after being attacked by a bear while on a fishing trip. And the Penguins sit at 3-6-1 through 10 games, among the worst records in the Eastern Conference. While the franchise is no stranger to navigating real-world issues — from Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux’s cancer battle in the early 1990s to defenceman Kris Letang dealing with a pair of strokes potentially related to a heart condition more recently — longtime captain Sidney Crosby said there’s no “blueprint” for how to handle things. “I think everyone tries to do their best to support each other and be there,” Crosby said. “You know, it’s one of those things where they try to make the best of difficult situations. And we’re a family here.” Crosby added it was a relief to see Kindel at the facility on Thursday after the jarring image of one of the team’s young cornerstones momentarily losing consciousness. “It’s one of those things you don’t really see happen that often,” he said. “So everyone handled it great and we’re happy to be here today getting ready for another game.” While Kindel could be back in the near future, the Penguins will be without two-time Stanley Cup champion forward Bryan Rust until at least December. The 34-year-old joined Kindel on injured reserve Thursday with a lower-body injury. Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said Rust, who has three goals and two assists in seven games, will be re-evaluated in six weeks. The Penguins filled the open roster spots created by Kindel and Rust’s absence by calling up forward Rutger McGroarty and defenceman Chase Pietila from their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. ___ Will Graves, The Associated Press
