Penguins plane makes emergency landing after Ben Kindel suffers medical episode
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ben Kindel is conscious, alert and stable after a medical episode forced the Penguins team plane back to Salt Lake City shortly after takeoff.
The Pittsburgh Penguins team plane was forced to return to Salt Lake City International Airport today shortly after takeoff.
Ben Kindel experienced a medical episode on board, and the flight turned around so he could get help right away.
The team put out an official statement on X, and it brought some calm to a scary situation.
According to the Penguins, team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas of UPMC and the rest of the medical staff were traveling on the plane and attended to Kindel immediately.
An ambulance was already waiting when the aircraft landed, and he was taken to University of Utah Hospital for further evaluation.
Kindel is stable and alert
The most important part is the update on his condition.
The team says the 19-year-old is conscious, alert and in stable condition.
Pittsburgh also stressed that player health and family privacy come first, and more updates will arrive when appropriate.
For now, there are no details on what caused the episode.
The scare came right after a rough night on the ice.
The Penguins lost 5-4 to the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on Monday, finishing a four-game road trip without a point.
Kindel was right in the middle of the late push, getting a point-blank chance in the final seconds that Utah goalie Sebastian Cossa stopped.
Pittsburgh now sits at 3-6-1.
What happens next
Kindel already missed time earlier this season with a lower-body injury.
Hockey takes a back seat right now.
Whether he is ready for the next game is a question for another day, and the team has made it clear it will share news on its own timeline.
Fans everywhere are wishing him well, and the next word from the Penguins is what everyone is waiting for.
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