- Kyle Dubas says Ben Kindel suffered a vasovagal episode on the Penguins’ flight
- Kindel is on injured reserve and could practice as soon as Sunday or Monday
- Read below for what Dubas and Sidney Crosby said Thursday
Ben Kindel could be back on the ice with the Penguins as soon as next week.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday that the 19-year-old forward lost consciousness because of a vasovagal episode, a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. It happened about 10 minutes after the team plane left Salt Lake City on Tuesday, per NHL.com.
Kindel got oxygen on board, the plane made an emergency landing, and he was taken to the University of Utah medical center. He was cleared to fly home to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Dubas was asked about the timeline for Kindel’s return and wouldn’t commit to anything firm.
“Our hope is to get everything done, tested, back into training here in the next four days or so and see if he can return to practice on Sunday or Monday,” Dubas said. “That’s why I would put an asterisk on that by saying ‘we’ll see how everything goes before then.’”
Pittsburgh placed Kindel on injured reserve Thursday. He will miss tonight’s game against the Panthers and Saturday’s game against the Predators, with Oct. 29 against the Mammoth the earliest realistic return.
The diagnosis also clears up some confusion. Initial reports Tuesday described a seizure on the plane, and Dubas told reporters to be careful about what circulated online. He said Kindel has no history of vasovagal episodes and the team is still working to figure out what triggered it.
Dubas also described how Kindel is doing two days later.
“Very clearly shaken,” Dubas said. “I think we just have to continue to help him with our resources.”
Sidney Crosby said the scare put the team’s rough stretch in perspective. Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 and has lost its last four road games in regulation.
“Having something happen like that, I think it puts things in perspective pretty quickly,” Crosby said. “We’re a family here.”
Kindel has two goals and two assists in nine games this season. He played 18:53 in Monday’s 5-4 loss at Utah, the night before the flight.
