Penguins forward Ben Kindel was taken to a Salt Lake City hospital Tuesday after a medical episode on the team's plane, and the club says he is stable. The aircraft was carrying the team home from a four-game road trip. It returned to Salt Lake City International Airport shortly after takeoff.
Pro Hockey Rumors quoted the team's statement, which said the plane returned "due to a medical episode involving forward Ben Kindel." Pensburgh reported the Penguins said Tuesday afternoon that he was in stable condition. It added that the nature of the incident was not detailed. Sportsnet also described him as stable. ESPN used stronger language, calling it a medical emergency, and said Kindel was being evaluated at the hospital. None of the reporting we have says what happened, what tests he has had or when he might be released. The wording differs between outlets, "episode" in the team's statement and "emergency" at ESPN, but the sourcing doesn't point to different facts.
Kindel played Monday night, when Pittsburgh lost 5-4 at Utah. He took 18:53 of ice time, including 1:56 shorthanded, and won 6 faceoffs. He had no points, one shot attempt and one blocked shot.
Kindel has appeared in all nine Penguins games this season. He has two goals and two assists, one of the goals on the power play, and averages 17:18 a game. That is more than the 15:03 he averaged over 77 games last season. His minus-5 rating is a product of a team that has gone 3-6 and sits sixth in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins have lost four straight: 5-2 at Colorado on Friday, 6-2 at Vegas on Saturday and the Utah game. Kindel has been a regular in the lineup during that stretch, including 3:16 of power-play time against Colorado.
The team has not said whether he will miss time. Pittsburgh hosts Florida on Thursday, and then Nashville on Saturday, Oct. 24. Whether he can play in either game is unknown. Any update on his condition would most likely come from the club.
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