Penguins' Ben Kindel hospitalized after medical episode on flight, details on what happened unclear

Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel suffered a medical episode on a flight from Salt Lake City and is conscious, alert, and stable in the hospital.

Updated on: Oct 21, 2026, 05:47:50 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

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The National Hockey League (NHL) team Pittsburgh Penguins announced that their center Ben Kindel suffered a medical episode aboard a flight while he was flying out of Salt Lake City in Utah on Tuesday afternoon.

Ben Kindel of the Pittsburgh Penguins arrives for the game against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 3. (Getty Images via AFP)

The Pittsburgh Penguins said in a statement that Kindel is stable after a “medical episode" on the team plane and has been hospitalized. He was attended to by the team medical staff who was also on the plane as the plane made an emergency landing at Salt Lake City from where it had departed after a game. An ambulance was waiting for the 19-year-old at the airport which took him to the hospital for treatment, the team said.

"Ben is conscious, alert and in stable condition," the team said in a statement. The team added that the team physician, Dr. Dharmesh Vyas of UPMC before the plane could land and he could undergo further evaluation.

“The health and safety of out players, as well as the privacy of their families, are out top priority. The team will provide more updates when appropriate.”

The team described what happened to Ben Kindel as only as "medical episode." No further details about the condition that Kindel suffered were released.

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According to Pittsburgh Hockey Now, the Pittsburgh Penguins team was scheduled to practice in Pittsburgh on Wednesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

More Details On Ben Kindel's Injury

The Athletic reported citing a team source who spoke on the condition of anonymity that Penguins front office and the coaching staff will remain in Salt Lake City with Kindel. It adds that the team was held back in Utah for several hours after the medical episode and left around 5:30pm ET Tuesday.

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The report confirmed that Pittsburgh Penguin's President of Hockey Operations cum General Manager Kyle Dubas and Assistant General Manager Jason Spezza were also on the team plane when Kindel's medical episode happened. They will also stay back with him at Utah for now.

In the 2026-27 NHL season, Ben Kindel has played 9 games for the Penguins, recording two goals and two assists (four points).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

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