CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel was back on the ice during Tuesday’s practice, just seven days after fainting on the team’s flight home from Utah.
Kindel described the incident, which the club’s general manager Kyle Dubas called a vasovagal episode, as “an interesting experience.” The plane had departed Salt Lake City on Oct. 20 when he lost consciousness. Medical staff on board attended to him, and he spent the night in a Salt Lake City hospital for observation before being cleared to travel back to Pittsburgh the next day.
The club placed Kindel on injured reserve, but the young forward remains optimistic about his return. “Obviously a couple weird days,” Kindel said. “Feels normal now just being back with the guys. Excited now for the rest of the year.”
Team outlook
Penguins coach Dan Muse said the team will take a measured approach to Kindel’s status, but noted he looked good while skating with Evgeni Malkin and Egor Chinakov on the second line. Kindel underwent additional testing upon his return and was cleared to begin conditioning over the weekend, emphasizing his desire to move forward.
“For me it’s in the past now,” Kindel added. “It’s out of my head. Can’t control what happened. Just got to move forward. That’s where my head’s at.” The 19‑year‑old has recorded two goals and two assists in four games this season.
Captain’s comments
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby called Kindel’s return “awesome,” describing it as a “great sign.” “I’m pretty sure that things are progressing well if he’s back out with us,” Crosby said.
Pittsburgh is off until Thursday, when it hosts Utah, and the team has won two straight games since returning from a winless four‑game road trip.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
