What happened to Ben Kindel? NHL player suffers 'medical episode' on plane

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel was taken to a Utah hospital Tuesday after suffering a "medical episode" on the team plane, the Penguins announced in a statement Tuesday afternoon. The Penguins say he is "conscious, alert and in stable condition." "The Pittsburgh Penguins team plane returned to the Salt Lake City International Airport today shortly after takeoff due to a medical episode involving forward Ben Kindel," the team said. "Team physician, Dr. Dharmesh Vyas of UPMC, as well as the team’s medical staff were on board and immediately attended to Ben. An ambulance was waiting upon arrival, and he was taken to the University of Utah Hospital for further evaluation. Ben is conscious, alert and in stable condition." The 19-year-old Kindel, the 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft, played 18 minutes and 53 seconds Monday night in the Penguins' 5-4 loss against the Utah Mammoth. "The health and safety of our players, as well as the privacy for their families, are our top priority. The team will provide further updates when appropriate," the Penguins said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What happened to Ben Kindel? NHL player suffers 'medical episode' on plane