Penguins forward Ben Kindel is back in Pittsburgh after he was hospitalized in Salt Lake City and might even return to practice as soon as next week, general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday.
Kindel, 19, had an urgent medical issue about 10 minutes after the team charter departed Salt Lake City International Airport on Tuesday, forcing the aircraft to turn around and land. Team medical staff cared for him until the plane was on the ground, at which time emergency medical technicians from a waiting ambulance took over.
Dubas revealed that Kindel fainted due to a “vasovagal episode.” He was given oxygen on the aircraft and regained consciousness.
Formally called vasovagal syncope, it is “a common, generally benign type of fainting caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure and sometimes heart rate, which temporarily reduces blood flow to the brain,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
It can be triggered by a variety of situations, including standing too long or prolonged exercise, per Johns Hopkins.
“He’s back in the building for treatment and testing today,” Dubas said. “We’ll place him on injured reserve and will obviously follow very strict guidelines to ensure a safe return to training and play for Ben. That’s our primary goal.”
Doctors gave Kindel the OK to return to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He was accompanied by the team staff members who remained in Utah with him.
Pittsburgh was returning home from a four-game road trip that concluded Monday with a 5-4 loss to the Utah Mammoth. Kindel played 18:53 in the game and did not record a point.
The 11th overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, Kindel is in his second season with Pittsburgh. He has two goals and two assists through nine games this season after totaling 17 goals and 18 assists in 77 games as a rookie.
Kindel, a native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, made the Penguins out of training camp as an 18-year-old last season.
Pittsburgh is scheduled to return to action Thursday when it hosts the Florida Panthers.